USA Fencing

PHOENIX, Ariz. — Daryl Taylor (Fortune Fencing) is back — in more ways than one.

He’s back on the Veteran World Team, where this October in Daytona Beach, Fla., he’ll try to improve on his bronze from the 2022 Veteran World Championships in Croatia.

And he’s back on top of the medal stand,  this time as the 2023 Vet-70 Men’s Epee national champion — one of 12 gold medals awarded on the fourth day of the 2023 National Championships and July Challenge, also known as Summer Nationals.

Taylor fenced at the University of Pennyslvania in the mid-1970s. He then took a hiatus of nearly 30 years before returning to the sport.

“I'm back,” he says. “And I'm having a great time in the Vet category. The fact that I'm still competing and vibrant at 70 is a blessing. And I'm humbled and pleased to be in this position.”

Taylor will represent Team USA this fall in Florida, and he hopes to be more than just a medalist at that event. He also wants to be seen as an ambassador — returning the welcome shown to him when he competed at Vet Worlds in Europe.

“I think it’d be nice to be a little hospitable here in the United States,” he says. “We want to be hospitable to our guests because they've been very hospitable to us.”

To be clear, though — that means being kind and hospitable when the masks are off.

“When we get on the strip, I don’t know you,” he says. “I don’t know who you are. We go at it then.”

While Chris O'Loughlin OLY (New York Athletic Club) won’t be making the Vet World Team this year (he missed the past two NACs because of work commitments), he finished his season in golden fashion — with a Vet-50 Men’s Epee national championship.

The 1992 Olympian, who has now been fencing for 44 years, says fencing as a Vet has been transformational.

“As a veteran, I've been able, luckily, to still rely on some of my speed, and my fleche, which has always been something I've enjoyed using,” he says. “But, you know, veterans are smart, smart, smart, smart. Vet fencing has brought a love of fencing that’s made me love fencing more than anything.”

Like Taylor, Magda Skarbonkiewicz (Oregon Fencing Alliance) won’t end her season in Phoenix. Her next stop is Milan for the 2023 Fencing World Championships, her first Senior Worlds.

“I’m looking forward to figuring out and adjusting to the tournament and my opponents,” she says. “And also just being with the team, because honestly, the people who've been around me have been so supportive. My parents, Team USA — I have a really great team this year to travel with and compete with. We've been doing really well; we have great dynamics. Just being with everybody, but also fighting as hard as I can to see what I can do with my fencing.”

Division I Women’s Epee

Gold: Margherita Guzzi Vincenti (Ataba Fencing Club)

Silver: Kasia Nixon (Peter Westbrook Foundation/Fencers Club Inc.)

Bronze: Natalia Toby (New York Athletic Club)

Bronze: Anne Cebula (New York Athletic Club/New York Fencing Academy)

5th: Michaela Joyce (University Of Notre Dame NCAA/Elite Fencing Academy)

6th: Polina Kharchyna (Ukraine)

7th: Jessica Lin (Medeo Fencing Club/Princeton University NCAA)

8th: Julia Yin (Canada)

 

Division I Women’s Saber

Gold: Magda Skarbonkiewicz (Oregon Fencing Alliance)

Silver: Nora Burke (Manhattan Fencing Center)

Bronze: Lola Possick (Advance Fencing And Fitness Academy)

Bronze: Vivian Lu (University Of Pennsylvania NCAA/Oregon Fencing Alliance)

5th: Maia Chamberlain (Manhattan Fencing Center/Advance Fencing And Fitness Academy)

6th: Tatiana Nazlymov (Nazlymov Fencing Foundation)

7th: Atara Greenbaum (University Of Notre Dame NCAA/Alle Fencing Club)

8th: Jadeyn Williams (Advance Fencing And Fitness Academy/University Of Notre Dame NCAA)

 

Division I Men’s Foil

Gold: Andrew Chen (Bluegrass Fencers' Club)

Silver: Ethan Um (Marx Fencing Academy)

Bronze: Samarth Kumbla (Silicon Valley Fencing Center)

Bronze: Anup Banerjee (Silicon Valley Fencing Center)

5th: Bryce Louie (LA International Fencing)

6th: Ethan Gassner (Golden State Fencing Academy)

7th: Enoch Xiao (Birmingham Fencing Club)

8th: Luao Yang (Renaissance Fencing Club)

 

Division IA Women’s Foil

Gold Medalist and National Champion: Kimberley Jang (Fencers Club Inc.)

Silver: Katherine Kim (Golubitsky Fencing Center)

Bronze: Emma Griffin (Space City Fencing Academy)

Bronze: Anika Breker (Rhode Island Fencing Academy And Club)

5th: Anice Orvañanos (Fencers Club Inc.)

6th: Eden Philpot (Plymouth/Ann Arbor Fencing Academy/Research Triangle Fencing)

7th: Alexis Chew (Golubitsky Fencing Center)

8th: Christina Zhuang (Rain City Fencing Center)

 

Division IA Men’s Saber

Gold Medalist and National Champion: Justin Miclaus (Advance Fencing And Fitness Academy)

Silver: Colin Noble (Lilov Fencing Academy)

Bronze: Oliver Lindholm (Nellya Fencers)

Bronze: Adam Barnett (Durkan Fencing Academy)

5th: Aaryan Patil (Southern California Fencing Academy)

6th: Bailey Michell (International Fencing Club)

7th: Leo Feng (Miracle Fencing Club / Nazlymov Fencing Foundation)

8th: Hayden Le (Phoenix Fencing Academy / Spartak)

 

Cadet Men’s Epee

Gold: Nathaniel Wimmer (Elite Fencing Academy (VA) / Elite Fencing Academy (GA))

Silver: Ryan Jeyoon (Elite Fencing Academy (VA) / Elite Fencing Academy (GA))

Bronze: Chaney Gao (Swords Fencing Studio)

Bronze: David Dodin (New York Fencing Academy)

5th: Jake Lo (Swords Fencing Studio)

6th: Jordan Macarty (Olympia Fencing Center)

7th: Samuel Lee (Elite Fencing Academy (VA) / Elite Fencing Academy (GA))

8th: Paxon Elyaderani (Hooked On Fencing)

 

Vet-40 Men’s Epee

Gold Medalist and National Champion: Timothy French (Mustang Fencing Club / Round Rock Fencing Club, LLC)

Silver: Eric Hansen (LA International Fencing)

Bronze: Vadim Makmatov (Salle Auriol Seattle)

Bronze: Michael Springer (Olympia Fencing Center)

5th: Jens Stephan (German Fencing Academy)

6th: Scott Rostal (Twin Cities Fencing Club)

7th: Noah Zucker (Cobra Fencing Club LLC)

8th: Graham Allen (East Bay Fencers Gym / Nova Fencing Club)

 

Vet-50 Men’s Epee

Gold Medalist and National Champion: Chris O'Loughlin OLY (New York Athletic Club)

Silver: Sergey Suponya (Medeo Fencing Club)

Bronze: Aaron Gaines (No Fear Fencing / San Diego Fencing Center)

Bronze: Mehmet Tepedelenlioglu (East Bay Fencers Gym)

5th: Joseph Deucher (DC Fencers Club)

6th: David Hitchcock (Cardinal Fencing Academy)

7th: Ken Gauvey (DC Fencers Club / Salle Palasz)

8th: Toby Lee (Metro Tacoma Fencing Club)

 

Vet-60 Men’s Epee

Gold Medalist and National Champion: Rick Watrall (New York Athletic Club/Fencers Club Inc.)

Silver: John Varney (Salle Auriol Seattle)

Bronze: Sergey Schindler (Academy Of Fencing Masters)

Bronze: Dick Richards (DC Fencers Club)

5th: Jeff Hudson (Hudson Centers For The Martial Arts)

6th: Sean Ameli (Battle Born Fencing Club)

7th: Frank Van Dyke (Battle Born Fencing Club)

8th: David Jensen (Fortune Fencing)

 

Vet-70 Men’s Epee

Gold Medalist and National Champion: Daryl Taylor (Fortune Fencing)

Silver: Tony Carter (Olympian Fencing Club)

Bronze: James Newsome (Tidewater Fencing Club)

Bronze: Thomas Henzler (Alliance Fencing Academy/Escrime Du Lac)

5th: John Moreau (Olympian Fencing Club)

6th: Bruno Goossens (Oregon)

7th: Charles Schneider (Plymouth/Ann Arbor Fencing Academy)

8th: Thomas Lutton (Denver Fencing Center/Le Club Touche)

 

Vet-80 Men’s Epee

Gold Medalist and National Champion: Mark Henry (Chevy Chase Fencing Club)

Silver: William Satterwhite (Alliance Fencing Academy)

Bronze: Costa Nichols (Las Vegas Fencing Academy)

Bronze: Jose Deolivares (Cardinal Fencing Academy)

5th: Barry Leonardini (East Bay Fencers Gym)

6th: Tung-Shan Chang (NEMA Fencing Center)

7th: James Gallivan (Fortune Fencing / San Dimas Fencing Academy)

 

Veteran Team Women’s Epee

Gold: Poor Life Choices (Kira Hansen, Haejung Hofman and Heidi Chang)

Silver: The Roses (Sandra Marchant, Sharrie Zafft, Elizabeth (Liz) Kocab and Yuliya Ganser)

Bronze: The Amazons (Valerie Asher, Kristin Foellmer, Cristina Gordet and Carole Jeandheur)

 

See the complete results on Fencing Time.

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