May 2025 SJCC Recap, Day 3: Close-Quarter Saber, Swift-Powered Focus, and Zen-Level Patience Deliver Four More Golds in Reno

RENO, Nev. — Calculating the perfect distance is a must-have skill for any fencer. For Lucas Zhao (Aura Fencing Academy), the calculation on Sunday was refreshingly simple.

“Low-key for me, I just go as close as I can,” he says. “I make them counter me. I just hit them.”

Lucas’s all-in approach earned him gold in Cadet Men’s Saber, one of four titles claimed on Day 3 of the May 2025 Super Junior & Cadet Circuit tournament.

Saber rewards explosive actions, and Lucas admits it can be tough to keep emotions in check.

“You could see me out of breath in the finals,” he says. “I was super tired — it’s really hard to control it.”

To help keep those emotions in the sweet spot, Lucas cues up Kyle Richh in his earbuds.

Music matters to Sydney Liu (Halberstadt Fencers’ Club), too. After striking gold in Junior Women’s Saber, she picked a walk-up song without hesitation.

“Any Taylor Swift song — maybe ‘… Ready for It?’” she says. “I love Taylor Swift, so any song.”

Sydney credits her teammates with sharpening her speed and unpredictability — at least to a point.

“I don’t think it’s that unpredictable,” she says with a laugh. “I’ve got a few actions in my head, and I rotate them semi-randomly so my opponent doesn’t know what’s coming.”

Between points, she slips her hair down for a mini reset.

“I know some referees don’t love it, but it helps me focus,” she says. “I tell myself to commit: put 100 percent out there and let the chips fall where they may.”

Junior Men’s Epee champion Imran Zakariyya Latif (Fencers Club Inc.) also put 100 percent into each touch — especially in a finals bout that came down to 14-14.

“Today was about keeping my nerves in check,” he says. “All my bouts were close. The whole tournament was patience, patience, patience — and I’m really proud of that.”

Ignoring outside “inputs” was key.

“I try to forget whatever happened last touch — good or bad — and stick to what works,” he says. “If I see something change, I adjust, but I don’t just react. I create my touches.”

Renee Chen (Gutkovskiy Fencing Academy) did the same en route to Cadet Women’s Foil gold, capping a day she summed up as “exhausting, wild, and sleepy.”

“Honestly,” says Renee, fresh off two medals in Reno, “I can’t wait to go to sleep.”

Gold: Renee Chen (Gutkovskiy Fencing Academy)

Silver: Grace Feng (Tim Morehouse Fencing Club)

Bronze: Iris Yang (Tim Morehouse Fencing Club)

Bronze: Chloe Sun (SoCAL Fencing Center)

5th: Sophia Lai (Fencing Institute of Texas & Austin Fencers Club)

6th: Ava McSherry (Fencers Club Inc.)

7th: Addison Ho (Silicon Valley Fencing Center)

8th: Grace Shim (Gutkovskiy Fencing Academy)

Gold: Sydney Liu (Halberstadt Fencers' Club)

Silver: Angelina Tse (Premier Fencing Academy)

Bronze: Charlotte Young (Manhattan Fencing Center)

Bronze: Korina Leou (Manhattan Fencing Center)

5th: Sahana Gautam (Halberstadt Fencers' Club)

6th: Rana Dhar (Capital Fencing Academy)

7th: Amari Pantaleon-Mazola (Nellya Fencers)

8th: Evelyn Jiang (LA Fencing Academy of Pomona)

Gold: Imran Zakariyya Latif (Fencers Club Inc.)

Silver: Jake Mann (Wanglei International Fencing Club)

Bronze: Christopher Davoodian (Swords Fencing Studio)

Bronze: Nicholas Normile (Medeo Fencing Club)

5th: Ethan Romanov (Alliance Fencing Academy)

6th: Stewart Lee (Alliance Fencing Academy)

7th: Eliott Loiseau (Escrime Du Lac)

8th: Roman Sobeshkevych (Fencing Center of Chicago)

Gold: Lucas Zhao (Aura Fencing Academy)

Silver: Preston So (Nellya Fencers & North Atlanta High School Fencing Team (Saber & Foil))

Bronze: Nicholas Mehan (Stamford Fencing Center, LLC)

Bronze: Lucas Wong (Premier Fencing Academy)

5th: Tyler Im (Spartak)

6th: Jacob Meyerson (International Fencing Club)

7th: Phillip Yang (South Bay Fencing Academy)

8th: Anthony Nguyen (Stamford Fencing Center, LLC)

Find the Day 3 photo gallery on Facebook.