USA Fencing

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — Four gold medals, including one signifying a national championship, were awarded on the first day of the 2022 USA Fencing National Championships and July Challenge, better known as Summer Nationals.

Alexa Drovetsky (Medeo Fencing Club) became the first national champion at this year’s Summer Nationals, besting 104 other fencers to take home the title in Division IA women’s epee.

To make it through a full day of consistently tough bouts, Drovetsky tried to be patient while still taking calculated risks.

“I did a lot of foot touches today, which is something I usually like to do, but it’s always a very risky action,” she says. “And I feel like I was being very patient today when normally I like to attack. I definitely had some composure.”

But as is the case at any daylong tournament, Drovetsky experienced a few speed bumps on the road to her national title. Those difficult stretches made it essential to have the support of her teammates and friends.

“My friends and my support system just kept me hyped up after every bout,” she says. “I had a huge posse with me, following me. My club has such a nice environment where everyone's going to stay and watch you. And after every bout, they'll cheer and clap and hype you up. And that's what gets me through.”

There was plenty more to cheer about for the day’s other top finishers.

Gold medals in July Challenge events went to Nicholas Z. Zhang (Canada) in Division I men’s epee), Maia M. Weintraub (Fencers Club Inc./Fencing Academy of Philadelphia/Princeton) in Division I women’s foil and Colby A. Harley (Nellya Fencers) in junior men’s saber.

Later this month, Weintraub will look to build on this positive momentum as she joins Team USA’s Senior World Team at the 2022 Senior World Championships in Cairo, Egypt.

Division I Men’s Epee

Gold: Nicholas Z. Zhang (Canada)

Silver: Miles J. Weiss (Alliance Fencing Academy)

Bronze: Sean White (Fencers Club Inc.)

Bronze: Nicholas Candela (Battle Born Fencing Club)

5th: Sergei Kudriavtcev (Alliance Fencing Academy)

6th: Noah E. Silvers (Windy City Fencing-Chicago)

7th: Henry C. Lange (The Ohio State University/Northwest Fencing Center)

8th: Nicholas W. Lawson (Fencers Club Inc./Princeton University)

 

Division I Women’s Foil

Gold: Maia M. Weintraub (Fencers Club Inc./Fencing Academy of Philadelphia/Princeton)

Silver: Nicole Pustilnik (Notre Dame)

Bronze: Stefani K. Deschner (Bluegrass Fencers' Club)

Bronze: Zander Rhodes (V Fencing Club/Le Club Touche)

5th: Lauren S. Scruggs (Peter Westbrook Foundation/Fencers Club Inc.)

6th: Sabrina N. Cho (University of Pennsylvania/Golden State Fencing Academy)

7th: Emily Jing (Star Fencing Academy)

8th: Iman A. Blow (Peter Westbrook Foundation)

 

Junior Men’s Saber

Gold: Colby A. Harley (Nellya Fencers)

Silver: Jordan H. Silberzweig (Manhattan Fencing Center)

Bronze: Nolan E. Williams (The Ohio State University/Peter Westbrook Foundation)

Bronze: Matthew Linsky (Manhattan Fencing Center)

5th: Elden S. Wood (Manhattan Fencing Center)

6th: William Morrill (Scarsdale Fencing Center/Fencers Club Inc.)

7th: Nicholas J. Harvey (Nellya Fencers)

8th: Joshua H. Lo (Boston Fencing Club)

 

Division IA Women’s Epee 

Gold and National Champion: Alexandra M. Drovetsky (Medeo Fencing Club)

Silver: Natalie Brooke A. Gebala (Academy of Fencing Masters)

Bronze: Karen Bei (Team Touche Fencing Center)

Bronze: Audrey Chu (Columbia University)

5th: Alexandra Feland (Academy of Fencing Masters)

6th: Priscilla Y. Leang (Academy of Fencing Masters)

7th: Amy Mao (Medeo Fencing Club)

8th: Mia Smotritsky (New York Fencing Academy)

 

Find full results at Fencing Time Live.