PLYMOUTH Fencing Club have ended the year on a high point with almost three dozen young fencers figuring prominently in the national rankings.

The city club's youngsters cut a swathe across a range of age categories which resulted in 35 of their epéeists being placed in the end of year Leon Paul national rankings.

The Leon Paul rankings is effectively the fencers' and their coaches' bible – an accurate weather vane on how well they are progressing.

In Plymouth's case the answer is very well indeed.

Undoubtedly, much of the credit for that goes to the club's international coaches Andy Hill and Peter Barrett, who between them have more than 75 years of fencing experience between them.

Hill, a former Great Britain coach and a finalist in the same category at The Herald Sports Personality 2010 awards, was delighted for his students.

He said: "Out of the five boys and five girls epée categories, our fencers have finished top in four and runners-up in two others.

"This is a tremendous achievement for all concerned. As coaches Peter and myself are obviously delighted."

Ending 2010 in pole position in the under-nine girls age group is Wembury Primary's Emma Andrews, followed by Plymouth College duo Katie and Olivia Dibb, who were eighth and 10th respectively.

In the under-nine boys category, Ben Andrews, of city prep school Kings, finished first ahead of fourth-placed Brendan March of Hyde Park Primary.

Plymouth College's Joshua Dibb and Ben Wilkins were sixth and 10th respectively.

The Millfields-based Plymouth Fencing took four out of the top five places in the under-11 girls epée ratings.

Leading the way was Tia Simms-Lymn followed respectively by Catherine Bishop and Alice Simmonds in second and third places, with Annie Crocker ranked fifth.

All the fencers attend Plymouth College prep school at St Dunstan's Abbey.

Tim Andrews proved a cut above in the under-13 boys category, with the Plymouth College student finishing ahead of Josh Wrigley, of Devonport High School for Boys, who was fourth.

Harry Roberts (45th) and Patrick Bourke (49th) both claimed pleasing grades.

At under-11 boys, Hyde Park's Josh Hellings ends 2010 ranked second followed by Plymouth College pupil Alex Sells in sixth, Ned Wrigley of Wembury ninth, and Piers Dupre Thomas, Noah Jones, Lewis Mayes and Ethan Cox in 12th, 13th, 35th and 57th places respectively.

Lily Spry was the top Plymouth Fencing Club member in the under-13 girls category, coming 15th, with her Plymouth College school-mate 30th.

Laurent Lightfoot was five places behind and Plymouth High School for Girls Kaila Conley-Conversi was 39th and Emily Ackford 41st.

The best placed fencer in the older categories was Rebecca Razey, of Plymouth College, who came second in the under-17 girls.

Next best was Tom Weatherby, of DHS for Boys, who was 11th in the under-15 boys, with Plymouth School's Joel Congdon and Jay Simms-Lymn, of Devonport High School tied at 24th.

Plymouth High School's Kelcey Pillage was a commendable 15th in the under-15 girls category, with school chum Amira Conley-Conversi tied at 17th with Katie Davies-Gregory of Plymouth College, whose Alice Rogers was 32nd.