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Summer Nationals 2025

2025 Summer Nationals, Day 8 Recap: Focus, Fight and ‘Getting Into the Flow’ as Six More Champions Are Crowned

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by Bryan Wendell & Nicole Kirk

MILWAUKEE, Wis. — At the world’s biggest fencing tournament, it’s easy to get caught up in the gravity of the moment. But for Sofiia Vinogorova (Fencing Academy of Denver), the path to success meant tuning out all those distractions and focusing on fencing. 


“Just fencing and not really caring about the results or who I'm fencing or anything — that was my motto,” she says. 


That motto persisted after she finished pools with four wins and two losses — a good but not perfect record that gave her a slightly tougher path to the medal stand.


“I just didn't really care,” she says. “I just fenced.”


And how about in the finals when the score was tied at 14? What was going through her mind then?


“Honestly? Really nothing,” she says. “My coach, Coach Greg, told me just to do an attack. And I'm like, ‘OK, well, here goes.’”


The results: a national championship in Y-14 Women’s Saber — one of six gold medals awarded on the eighth day of the 2025 Summer Nationals.


Like Vinogorova, Lucas Sun (North Shore Fencers Club) started his day with 8 a.m. pools. And while he wasn’t expecting to win gold in Division III Men’s Epee, he started his day in the best possible way, going 6-0 in pools with a plus-21 indicator. 


“I honestly have no idea how I did that,” he says. “I just warmed up and I fenced a couple of practice bouts, and then I just got into the flow.”


Even with that strong start, Sun wasn’t expecting to go home a champion.


“I really wasn't expecting this win today,” he says. “I just fought hard and fenced for every touch.”


Aidan Tan (Star Fencing Academy) wasn’t expecting to win, either — even though some upsets in other parts of the bracket gave him a somewhat easier path to the finals. 


But an easier path on paper and actually winning a bout you’re “supposed to win” are drastically different things.


“Something I was struggling with the previous couple competitions was just staying focused and staying tight,” he says. “So what I did this time was — even if I knew I could beat someone — I didn't slack off. I still tried my best, and it worked pretty well.”


Like all champions, Tan knows he didn’t get to the top alone. He thanks his coaches and his dad for helping motivate him every day.


“I really want to shout out my dad,” he says, “because he was also coaching me all the way. He's done a lot for me over these past few years.”

Day 8 Results — Top 8

Y-12 Women’s Epee

Gold and National Champion: Sophia Habek (East Bay Fencers Gym)

Silver: Ifechi Olele (Elite Fencing Academy (VA) & Elite Fencing Academy (GA))

Bronze: Tanya Dhaiya (Marx Fencing Academy)

Bronze: Jessica Wu (Yang Fencing Club)

5th: Anika Adyanthaya (Medeo Fencing Club)

6th: Chantal Wang (Olympic Epee Masters)

7th: Hannah Yang (Guanyi Fencing Academy)

8th: Alexa Ramey (Dragon Heart Fencing)

Y-12 Men’s Saber

Gold and National Champion: Ethan Chang (Nazlymov Fencing Foundation)

Silver: Andrew Gu (LA Fencing Academy of Pomona)

Bronze: Blake Vo (Premier Fencing Academy)

Bronze: Michael Li (Premier Fencing Club & American Institute of Fencing)

5th: Bowen Yu (Lone Star Fencing Center)

6th: Roman Grigoriev (Premier Fencing Academy)

7th: Jeremy Kang (Premier Fencing Academy)

8th: Jeremy Qi (West Coast Fencing Academy)

Y-14 Women’s Foil

Gold and National Champion: Grace Feng (Tim Morehouse Fencing Club (Port Chester))

Silver: Lina Park (Auburn Fencing Club)

Bronze: Audrey Yang (Golden State Fencing Academy)

Bronze: Ella Zou (Team Touche Fencing Center)

5th: Melissa Deng (Massialas Foundation (M Team))

6th: Zoe Theron (Silicon Valley Fencing Center)

7th: Carol Wang (Star Fencing Academy)

8th: Joy Li (Silicon Valley Fencing Center)

Y-14 Women’s Saber

Gold and National Champion: Sofiia Vinogorova (Fencing Academy of Denver)

Silver: Anne Cong (Halberstadt Fencers' Club)

Bronze: Royce Awad (Lilov Fencing Academy)

Bronze: Katherine Mackay (Advance Fencing and Fitness Academy)

5th: Aria Brown (Manhattan Fencing Center)

6th: Amari Pantaleon-Mazola (Nellya Fencers)

7th: Meya Lei (LA Fencing Academy of Pomona)

8th: Anna Hu (Advance Fencing and Fitness Academy & Fencing Club of Mercer County)

Y-14 Men’s Foil

Gold and National Champion: Aidan Tan (Star Fencing Academy)

Silver: Hugo Rautureau (Rain City Fencing Center)

Bronze: Alexander Tang (OnTarget Fencing Club)

Bronze: Youlong Lin (LA International Fencing)

5th: Dalton Sheng (AIC Fencing Club)

6th: Alber Wu (Silicon Valley Fencing Center)

7th: Joseph Guth (Cleveland Fencing Academy East LLC)

7th: Kyle Chen (Gutkovskiy Fencing Academy)

Division III Men’s Epee

Gold and National Champion: Lucas Sun (North Shore Fencers Club)
Silver: Maksim Milinkovic (Elite Fencers Club)
Bronze: Michael Rvachev (Fencing Academy of Westchester)
Bronze: Lucas Voo (Yang Fencing Club)
5th: Mason Martin (Medeo Fencing Club & Manchen Academy of Fencing)
6th: Marcus Wang (Penta Olympic Fencing Club)
7th: Timothy Li (Kaizen Academy LLC)
8th: Joshua Cohen (Battle Born Fencing Club)



Day 8 Photos

Find the gallery here.


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