Skip to content

2025 Summer Nationals, Day 1 Recap: ‘Spamming Lessons’ and Other Winning Strategies in Milwaukee

Share:

by Bryan Wendell & Nicole Kirk

MILWAUKEE, Wis. — For Kyle Fallon (Fencing Academy of Westchester & University of Notre Dame), the best way to prepare for the season’s final fencing tournament was not fencing much at all.


“I was just taking lessons,” she says. “I wasn't fencing that much, to be honest. I was spamming lessons, and that's about it.”


That strategy was a winning one as Fallon secured first place in Junior Women’s Epee — one of nine  gold medals awarded on Saturday, the opening day of the 2025 Summer Nationals. 


Fallon says staying cool under pressure, even as one person in a field of 311 under-20 women, was a lesson she picked up during her first year at Notre Dame, which won the NCAA championship this year.


“Learning to stay composed — I think that's the most important thing, especially for me,” she says. “I get angry sometimes, and I'm finally learning to compose myself.”


Emilio Gonzalez (Scarsdale Fencing Center & Fencers Club Inc.) has experienced his share of pressure-packed moments, too — most recently when winning the Cadet Men’s Saber world championship this past April in Wuxi. 


“It's a lot more pressure because I have that title,” he says. “I always try my best. But obviously there's gonna be a bigger target on your back when you win worlds. But I didn't really feel that today, though.”


Like many competitors at Summer Nationals, Gonzalez is competing in multiple events. His next just happens to be Division I Men’s Saber — just 14 hours after his gold-medal-winning touch in Junior Men’s Saber.


“I’m going to take a cold shower, foam roll, eat a lot — I'm starving right now,” he says. “I’ll get a good night’s sleep and wake up early.”


In Vet-50 Men’s Foil, Leo Popokh (Fencing Institute of Texas) will sleep easily knowing he’s a national champion and is headed to the 2025 Veteran Fencing World Championships. 


“The secret for success is hard work pays off,” he says. “It's been a very hard year. Didn't start really well in Kansas, but my coach says, ‘Take what’s yours. You never know when another opportunity comes along.’ And I took what's mine today and qualified as No. 1 for the World Team.”

Day 1 Results — Top 8


Division I Women’s Foil

Gold: Katerina Lung (Moe Fencing Club)

Silver: JoJo Conway (University of Notre Dame & Escrime Du Lac)

Bronze: Caterina Fedeli (Epic Fencing Club)

Bronze: Yiran Wang (Star Fencing Academy)

5th: Adi Nott (Colorado Division)

6th: Sophia Lai (Fencing Institute of Texas & Austin Fencers Club)

7th: Anika Breker (Rhode Island Fencing Academy and Club)

8th: Rebecca Cho (Top Fencing Club)

Division I Men’s Epee

Gold: Henry Lawson (Fencers Club)

Silver: Gabriel Feinberg (Olympia Fencing Center & The Ohio State University)

Bronze: James Sennewald (Alliance Fencing Academy & University of Notre Dame)

Bronze: Jake Mann (Wanglei International Fencing Club)

5th: Michael Bezrodnov (Medeo Fencing Club)

6th: Ari Simmons (New York Athletic Club & New York Fencing Academy)

7th: Cooper Schumacher (Fencers Club)

8th: Samuel Gallagher Pelletier (Academy of Fencing Masters)

Junior Women’s Epee

Gold: Kyle Fallon (Fencing Academy of Westchester & University of Notre Dame)

Silver: Regina Lee (Swords Fencing Studio)

Bronze: Sierra Springer (LEO Fencing Club)

Bronze: Liora Profis (New York Fencing Academy)

5th: Avni Shiv (Alliance Fencing Academy)

6th: CJ Tolsma (Alliance Fencing Academy)

7th: Navya Neelam (Elite Fencing Academy (GA) & Elite Fencing Academy (VA))

8th: Alexandra Smuk (Rhode Island Fencing Academy and Club)

Junior Men’s Saber

Gold: Emilio Gonzalez (Scarsdale Fencing Center & Fencers Club Inc.)

Silver: Silas Choi (Globus Fencing Academy)

Bronze: Aiden Tse (Premier Fencing Academy)

Bronze: Ethan Kim (Tim Morehouse Fencing Club)

5th: Carter Berrio (Alle Fencing Club)

6th: Daniel Holz (Premier Fencing Academy)

7th: Wade Hjerpe (Phoenix Fencing Academy)

8th: Giuseppe Perna (South Bay Fencing Academy)

Vet 40 Men’s Foil

Gold and 2025 National Champion: Liran Gross (Gutkovskiy Fencing Academy)

Silver: Dong-Ying Pai (Twin Cities Fencing Club)

Bronze: Stephen Jan (Metropolitan NYC Division)

Bronze: Patricio Moreno Briones (Northwest Fencing Center)

5th: Matt Berberi (Elite Fencing Club)

6th: Michael Kuzmak (South Coast Fencing Center)

7th: Pasha Glozman (Salle Auriol Seattle & Rain City Fencing Center)

8th: Alexander Wood (Fencing Sports Academy)

Vet 50 Men’s Foil

Gold and 2025 National Champion: Leo Popokh (Fencing Institute of Texas)

Silver: Rey Lopez (Heartland Fencing Academy)

Bronze: Nathan Anderson (Denver Fencing Center & Denver Fencing Foundation)

Bronze: Oliver Foellmer (LA International Fencing)

5th: Ted Koehn (Salle Auriol Seattle)

6th: Ethan Kim (Plymouth/Ann Arbor Fencing Academy)

7th: Tommy Sirico (Capitol Division)

8th: Michael Cho (Renaissance Fencing Club)

Vet 60 Men’s Foil

Gold and 2025 National Champion: Chris Balestracci (Iconic Fencing Club)

Silver: Fretz Olivares (Fencers Club)

Bronze: Jerry Leblanc (Elite Fencing Club)

Bronze: John Lawrence (Masters Fencing Academy NJ)

5th: Edward Kaihatsu (RedStar Fencing Club Chicago & Athletic Training Fencing)

6th: Mitch Dorfman (Morris Fencing Club)

6th: Gary Hayenga (Plymouth/Ann Arbor Fencing Academy & Ann Arbor Dueling Society)

8th: Stephen Gross 

Vet 70 Men’s Foil

Gold and 2025 National Champion: Henri Darricau OLY (Denver Fencing Center)

Silver: Joseph Biebel (AZ United Fencing Club)

Bronze: Werewolf Patterson (Capitol Division)

Bronze: Joseph Streb (Columbus International Fencing Academy & Royal Arts Fencing Academy)

5th: Janmon Patterson (Salle Auriol Seattle)

6th: Tom Lutton (Denver Fencing Center)

7th: Michael Ress (Hudson Centers for the Martial Arts)

8th: Neal White (RedStar Fencing Club Chicago)

Vet 80 Men’s Foil

Gold and National Champion: James Brykczynski (Bucks County Academy of Fencing)

Silver: Davis Carvey (Rain City Fencing Center & Salle Auriol Seattle)

Bronze: Fritz Chang (NEMA Fencing Center)

Bronze: Donald Anderson (New Mexico Fencing Foundation)

5th: Harold Marsh (Renaissance Fencing Club)

6th: Stephen Neff (Fencing Academy of Philadelphia - University City)


Day 1 Photos #

Find the Day 1 photo gallery on Facebook. 

Read More#