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August 22, 2004 3:35 pm

Men's epee team settles for sixth place

By MIKE PRATER

Gannett News Service

ATHENS, Greece - The Summer Olympics ended for Oregon fencers Seth Kelsey and Cody Mattern on Sunday after the Americans finished sixth in men's team epee.

It was a day of mixed results for Kelsey, of Tigard, Ore., and Mattern, a 1999 graduate of Oregon Episcopal School in Portland.

Along with teammate Soren Thompson of San Diego, the Americans lost in the quarterfinals to France 45-32, beat China 45-36 in the placement round and lost 45-33 to the Ukraine in the fifth-place match.

Both Kelsey and Mattern won three of nine bouts inside the Helliniko Fencing Hall.

``That victory against China, that was huge for us,'' Kelsey said. ``It was definitely a highlight for me. We got World Cup points, and it's always fun to win in front of your friends and family.''

Earlier in the week, Kelsey and Mattern were eliminated after one bout in the men's individual epee. Both fencers have said they hope to compete in the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing.

``The weeklong experience was great, with all the crowds and everybody cheering for us. I definitely want to be back,'' Kelsey said.

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