USA Fencing

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — A friendly message to those who still believe fencing is an exclusively East Coast sport: The state of California would like a word. 

Five youth national championships were earned on the 10th and final day of the 2022 USA Fencing National Championships and July Challenge, or Summer Nationals.

And in a fun twist, all five were earned by fencers from California. 

Y-10, Y-12 and Y-14 fencers from across the country — New Jersey, Georgia, Oregon and beyond — have been earning medals at Summer Nationals. 

But the tournament’s 10th day saw gold medals earned exclusively by California fencers — a fact that’s simultaneously a cool coincidence and a sure sign that the future of American fencing is strong from coast to coast.

Monday’s youth champions were from these California divisions:

• Southern California: Y-10 Men’s Saber: Tino Tani (Southern California Fencing Academy (SOCALFA) / West Coast Fencing Academy)
• Southern California: Y-10 Women’s Foil: Chloe Sun (Orange County Fencing Center)
• Central California: Y-10 Men’s Epee: Sangwook Park (LE CLUB TOUCHE)
• Central California: Y-12 Men’s Foil: Luca Nicoletti (Silicon Valley Fencing Center)
• Southern California: Y-12 Women’s Saber: Xuanyi Zhang (LA Fencing Academy of Pomona)

That streak was broken with the day’s final event, Division III women’s epee, won by Grace Hicks (New York Fencing Academy).

Y-10 Men’s Saber

Gold and National Champion: Tino Tani (Southern California Fencing Academy (SOCALFA) / West Coast Fencing Academy)
Silver: Victor Liu (Sigma Fencing Academy)
Bronze: Marcel T. Ursu (Cobra Fencing Club LLC)
Bronze: Howard Li (LA Fencing Academy of Pomona)
5th: Phillip Yang (South Bay Fencing Academy)
6th: Trey Brimmer (Las Vegas Fencing Academy)
7th: Bowen Yu (Lone Star Fencing Center)
8th: Evan Bai (Platinum Fencing Academy)

Y-10 Women’s Foil

Gold and National Champion: Chloe Sun (Orange County Fencing Center)
Silver: Aphrodite Tsimiklis (5T Fencers Club)
Bronze: Ella Zou (Team Touche Fencing Center)
Bronze: Enjia Sherry Liu
5th: Grace Feng (Tim Morehouse Fencing Club (Port Chester))
6th: Julia Harris (V Fencing Club)
7th: Miranda Luo (Golden State Fencing Academy)
8th: Sophie Duan (Team Touche Fencing Center)

Y-10 Men’s Epee

Gold and National Champion: Sangwook Park (LE CLUB TOUCHE)
Silver: Kenneth Huang (Fencing Center of Chicago)
Bronze: Neel Mehrotra (Fencing Institute ofTexas)
Bronze: Shawn Zhou (Orange County Fencing Center / Team Touche Fencing Center)
5th: Chengwen Dai (Battle Born Fencing Club)
6th: Ryan Midyany (New York Fencing Academy)
7th: Alexander Moore (Nashville Elite Fencing Club / Nashville Academy of Fencing)
8th: James Boudreaux (Elite Fencing Academy (VA) / Elite Fencing Academy (GA))

Y-12 Men’s Foil

Gold and National Champion: Luca Nicoletti (Silicon Valley Fencing Center)
Silver: Aden A. Soto-Ulev (Massialas Foundation (M Team))
Bronze: Derek Liu (Star Fencing Academy)
Bronze: Aaron Li (Marx Fencing Academy)
5th: Aris Kiayias (Massialas Foundation (M Team) / Fencers Club Inc.)
6th: Diego Fukuda (Massialas Foundation (M Team))
7th: Brenden Morrow (Silicon Valley Fencing Center)
8th: Brendan Lee (Tim Morehouse Fencing Club (Port Chester))

Y-12 Women’s Saber

Gold and National Champion: Xuanyi Zhang (LA Fencing Academy of Pomona)
Silver: Isabel Schmidt (Halberstadt Fencers' Club)
Bronze: Sahana Gautam (The Fencing Center)
Bronze: Valentina Chiarelli (Manhattan Fencing Center)
5th: Delilah Huai (Premier Fencing Academy LLC)
6th: Martina Fernandez (Nellya Fencers)
7th: Sarah Zeng (Bergen Fencing Club / Forward Fencing Academy)
8th: Jolene Chan (South Bay Fencing Academy)

Division III Women’s Epee

Gold and National Champion: Grace Hicks (New York Fencing Academy)
Silver: Olivia Lee (Swords Fencing Studio)
Bronze: Kaitlyn M. Lee (Academy of Fencing Masters (AFM))
Bronze: Alicen Spurlin (Elite Fencing Academy (GA))
5th: Anusha Kumar (Elite Fencing Academy (GA))
6th: Lucy J. Bybee (Elite Fencing Academy (GA) / Elite Fencing Academy (VA))
7th: Noya Chirashnya (Academy of Fencing Masters (AFM))
8th: Karen Chiem (Golden Gate Fencing Center)

Find full results at Fencing Time Live.