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 This past weekend, Saber Light Knights celebrated its first annual Vortex Tournament at the Mid Atlantic Fantasy Convention in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Fighters from SLK schools in Fredericksburg, Charlottesville, and Hampton Roads came together to compete for the first-ever Vortex Championship title belt.
The tournament was run under the SLK Continuous Tornado format and featured a double-elimination bracket, giving fighters a true test of endurance, adaptability, and strategy. The first round opened with several epic matchups. Mychal Mendoza of Charlottesville faced Em Watson of Fredericksburg in a battle between two evenly matched defensive counterfighters. Both competitors favored patience, timing, and precision, but Mychal was able to squeak by with several well-timed parry-ripostes, taking the win 23–16. Next, Matthew Taylor of Hampton Roads SLK faced Kevin Kennedy of Charlottesville. Though Matthew is a newer student under Master Jerome, he proved to be one of the most dynamic fighters in the tournament. He unleashed a barrage of fast, aggressive attacks that Kevin initially struggled to overcome. Halfway through the match, Kevin found his footing, using lateral movement to void and counter Matthew’s pressure. It was not enough. Matthew advanced with a hard-fought 15–13 victory. David Cook and Daniel Lowdermilk of SLK Charlottesville clashed next in a cerebral match full of feints, traps, and carefully timed strikes. David pulled off the upset, defeating Daniel 15–9. Sentinel Liz Pritchard then faced Battlemaster Roland Balmediano. This was a fast-paced fight filled with lightning strikes, counters, and Roland’s booming laugh echoing through the ring. In the closest match of the day, Liz edged out the Battlemaster 27–26. In the second round, Matthew Taylor ran into the anvil that is Mychal Mendoza. Primed from his win over Kennedy, Matthew once again unleashed rapid-fire attacks and impressive footwork. Mychal, however, patiently waited for mistakes and punished each opening with trademark counters. His strategy paid off, and Mychal advanced with a 38–23 victory. David Cook then clashed with Liz Pritchard in an exciting match. David pushed forward aggressively, while Liz used footwork and timing to dance just out of reach. Liz advanced 33–22. Em Watson faced Kevin Kennedy next. Kevin overcame his slow start from the opening round and came out with renewed aggression. He controlled the pace and advanced with a decisive 42–23 win. The final match of the round featured Battlemaster Balmediano against Daniel Lowdermilk. Roland attempted to take the fight to Daniel in his usual fashion, but Daniel slowed the match down with smart footwork and seized openings as they appeared. Daniel advanced 19–15. In what could easily have been a finals matchup, Liz and Mychal battled earlier than expected. Liz used timing and footwork against Mychal’s precision and trademark counterpunching. As usual between these two, the match came down to the wire. Mychal advanced 31–28. Kevin continued his aggressive run against David Cook, pushing the pace and earning a 19–15 victory. In the final match of the round, Daniel faced Matthew Taylor. Daniel again used feints and timing to slow Matthew’s fast-paced attacks, countering effectively and advancing 35–16. Now the tournament was down to the wire. Daniel faced Kevin in a battle of contrasting approaches. Kevin tried a more measured strategy this time, hoping to pace himself against Daniel’s cerebral style. It did not pay off. Daniel controlled the match and advanced 22–15. Next, Liz and Daniel faced each other in a true house-divided matchup. This was a fun, competitive, and even match between two fighters who train together — and live together. Daniel advanced 32–24, making Liz one very proud fiancée. Then came the final round — or so it seemed. Because the tournament was double elimination and Mychal remained undefeated, Daniel would have to defeat him twice to claim the championship. Mychal only needed one more win. Daniel came into the first finals match with patience, measure, and a clear plan: force Mychal out of his comfort zone. What followed was a chess match between two masters of timing and tactics. Daniel’s strategy worked. By forcing Mychal onto the offense, he took control and won convincingly, 25–15. But in double elimination, one final encore remained. In the deciding championship match, Daniel and Mychal both relied on positioning, range, and patience, attacking only on their own terms and leaving no room for error. Daniel led until the final seconds. Then, in one decisive exchange — one shot, one parry-riposte — Mychal Mendoza seized the moment and became the first-ever Vortex Champion. What an incredible display of tactics, patience, and heart. The Mid Atlantic Fantasy Convention was a pleasure to attend, and we hope to see it continue to grow into its full potential. The Vortex Tournament ran smoothly and showcased some of the academy’s most impressive fighters. Saber Light Knights looks forward to returning next year.
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 Virginia’s best fighters descended on Nashville, Tennessee, for the Saberstrong tournament, and Saber Light Knights was proudly represented by Ryan McKenna, Chicco Smith, Liz Pritchard, Kristi Jerome, David Graham, Em Watson, David Cook, Vince DelVecchio, and Michael Sprague. Anthony Robertson, Cole Robertson, and Lane Cash also made the trip from the Freedom Fighters, adding even more Virginia strength to the field.
Saturday featured the Standard and Redemption divisions. Ryan McKenna, Chicco Smith, Liz Pritchard, Lane Cash, Michael Sprague, Vince DelVecchio, Cole Robertson, Anthony Robertson, David Cook, and David Graham all advanced from their pools into the elimination rounds. The quarterfinals opened with Vince DelVecchio facing Jared Graham of Florida in a close, hard-fought match. Vince fought with poise and courage, but Jared edged him out, 8–6. Next came a clash between Headmaster and Dark Lord, as Ryan McKenna and Chicco Smith met in a fierce battle. Smith narrowly defeated McKenna, 10–8, in one of the most intense matches of the day. Anthony Robertson then put on a dominant performance against Vince Toscano of West Virginia, winning 10–5 and advancing to the semifinals. The first semifinal featured World Champion Bobby Zavala against prior World Champion Jared Graham. It was a fight of patience, discipline, and defense, with both fighters probing carefully and waiting for an opening. Bobby’s defensive precision paid off, earning him a 6–4 victory. The second semifinal saw Chicco Smith face Anthony Robertson in a match defined by raw speed and aggression. Both fighters were evenly matched, but Robertson’s reach gave him the slight edge, and he took the win, 10–9. In the third-place match, Jared Graham faced Chicco Smith. Chicco fought hard, but Jared’s experience and range secured the win, 10–4. The championship match brought Anthony Robertson and Bobby Zavala together in a dramatic final. Robertson’s power and speed clashed with Bobby’s patience and vaunted defense. Both fighters played to their strengths, and the match came down to sudden death. In the final exchange, Bobby flipped the script, attacked with a leaping strike, landed to Robertson’s right shoulder, and secured the championship. Em Watson and Kristi Jerome competed in the Redemption division. Both fought well and made it to the quarterfinals. Kristi lost a heartbreaker to Natascha Zavala of Tennessee, securing fourth place. The Masters division featured Virginia fighters Michael Sprague and David Graham. Both performed well in pools, with Sprague advancing into the elimination bracket. From there, he never looked back. Sprague stormed through the bracket and defeated Vince Toscano of West Virginia to claim the Masters Championship. The Women’s division featured SLK fighters Em Watson, Liz Pritchard, and Kristi Jerome in a double-elimination tournament. Watson faced World Champion Shannon Cole-Cameron right out of the gate. She fought well but was defeated, 10–6. Em then went on a tear, defeating both Lana Toscano of West Virginia and Melodie Graham of Florida before eventually falling to Natascha Zavala of Tennessee. Jerome opened strong, defeating Talhia Qureshi and Melodie Graham before losing a razor-close 5–4 match to Shannon Cole-Cameron. Kristi then defeated Autumn Nichols of Kentucky before falling to the Knight Killer herself, Natascha Zavala. Liz Pritchard unleashed a dominant run through the bracket, defeating Niki Figgins of Tennessee, Natascha Zavala of Tennessee, and Shannon Cole-Cameron of Wisconsin. Shannon battled her way back through the bracket to face Liz again in the finals. This time, Shannon was able to defeat Liz, 10–7. Since the tournament was double elimination, they had to do the thing a third time. In the final match, Liz used off-line attacks to regain control, winning 10–7 and taking the Women’s Championship. Virginia continued its strong showing in the Exotic Weapons bracket. Ryan McKenna, Chicco Smith, Anthony Robertson, Lane Cash, Vince DelVecchio, Cole Robertson, David Graham, and Liz Pritchard all advanced from pools. McKenna fell to Vince Toscano in the quarterfinals, while Pritchard fell to Bobby Zavala. Anthony Robertson defeated Andy Cameron of Wisconsin, and Chicco Smith avenged his Standard division loss by defeating Jared Graham, 10–9. In the semifinals, Robertson defeated Toscano, 10–5. Chicco then faced Bobby Zavala in a close, cerebral match, narrowly falling 5–4. Anthony Robertson and Bobby Zavala clashed once again in a rematch of the Standard finals. This time, Anthony left no doubt, defeating Bobby 10–7 and claiming the Exotic Weapons Championship. Chicco Smith went on to defeat Toscano, 10–8, to claim third place. Saberstrong was an outstanding tournament. Virginia fighters posted an amazing record across multiple divisions, brought home major wins, and, most importantly, had fun doing it. Congratulations to everyone who competed, represented, and supported the team. |
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June 2026
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