USA Fencing

PHOENIX, Ariz. — For Jeannine Bender (Capital Fencing Academy), the joy of fencing isn’t about the medals. And it’s not about the chance to represent Team USA at the Veteran Fencing World Championships.  

For Bender, the joy of Vet fencing is found in the camaraderie.  

“The club I fence with, they provide so much support,” she says. “We have a great group of Veterans at the at the club. At least a dozen of us practice together, and this is just the best thing that's happened in my fencing career in a while.” 

On Wednesday at the 2023 National Championships and July Challenge, also known as Summer Nationals, Bender secured both the Vet-70 Women’s Saber national title and a spot on the team for this October’s Vet Worlds. 

While Bender is hoping to do well in Daytona Beach, she knows that the experience will be about more than what happens on the strip.  

“Oh, honestly, fencing keeps me — this is a cliche, I do apologize — but it keeps me young,” she says. “I like to say it keeps me sane and off the streets.”  

While Yelena Kalkina (Oregon Fencing Alliance) is not yet old enough to compete at Vet Worlds, (which right now starts at Vet-50) her experience in fencing has been just as enjoyable. 

“I always tell my coach that fencing is a lot more than fencing,” she says. “It's a great community, wonderful coaches, teammates, energy. I've been fencing for a long time, starting with foil and women's saber. And it's the entire energy and friendship that matters.” 

Kalkina’s Vet-40 Women’s Saber national championship — a repeat of her performance at the 2022 Summer Nationals — was the culmination of the past year of training. 

“I started out a little bit rough,” she says. “But then I told myself, ‘Trust your training.’ I went through training with my coaches and my teammates, and I just say trust your training and fight for every touch. It's not a victory until you win the bout.” 

Day 6 Medalists 

Division IA Women’s Saber 

Gold Medalist and National Champion: Eden E. Philpot (Plymouth/Ann Arbor Fencing Academy / Research Triangle Fencing) 

Silver: Megumi Oishi (Northwestern University NCAA)  

Bronze: Elizabeth Kondev (Globus Fencing Academy)  

Bronze: Lauren Arnecke (Frisco Fencing Academy / University of Texas Dallas)  

5th: Grace Ker (Cardinal Fencing Club)  

6th: Leanne Singleton-Comfort (US Air Force Academy / Fencing Academy Of Denver) 

7th: Sophia Lee (Manhattan Fencing Center / Manhattan Fencing of Englewood)  

8th: Emma Holmes (Fencing Academy Of Denver) 

Division IA Men's Foil  

Gold Medalist and National Champion: Dongrong Huang (AIC Fencing Club) 

Silver: Jackson Sullivan (Moe Fencing Club LLC) 

Bronze: Paul Lewis (Austin Fencers Club / Fencing Institute Of Texas)  

Bronze: Castor Kao (Star Fencing Academy)  

5th: Nickolas Rusadze (Tim Morehouse Fencing Club)  

6th: Gregory Mitberg (Northwest Fencing Center)  

7th: Michael Desando (Drew University NCAA / Mission Fencing Center)  

8th: Aditya Jain (San Diego Division) 

Division II Men’s Epee 

Gold Medalist and National Champion: Benjamin Mao (Medeo Fencing Club) 

Silver: John B. Snell (Border Texas Division) 

Bronze: Zachary Choi (Maximum Fencing Club)  

Bronze: Brian Chen (Guanyi Fencing Academy)  

5th: Jeffrey Longstreet (New York Fencing Academy)  

6th: Liam Zone (New Mexico Fencing Foundation)  

7th: Stanley Q. Zhou (LA International Fencing / No Fear Fencing)  

8th: Zeph Yang (City of Thunder FC / Olympian Fencing Club) 

Division III Women’s Foil 

Gold Medalist and National Champion: Avery Levy (East Coast Fencing Club) 

Silver: Saanvi Kapoor (Fencing Academy Of Westchester) 

Bronze: Eva Bassik (Columbus Fencing And Fitness LLC)  

Bronze: Isabella Musto (Marx Fencing Academy / Denison University Fencing) 

5th: Zoe N. Lenz (Fencers Club Inc.)  

6th: Sylvie A. Troxel (Rain City Fencing Center)  

7th: Selena Zhang (Tim Morehouse Fencing Club)  

8th: Anna Quinn (Northwest Fencing Center) 

Division III Men’s Saber 

Gold Medalist and National Champion: Luca Savoy (Hudson-Berkshire Division) 

Silver: Alex Piwowar (Boston Fencing Club) 

Bronze: Jerry Gong (International Fencing Club) 

Bronze: Maksymilian A. Skarbonkiewicz (Oregon Fencing Alliance) 

5th: Lucas Kroon (South Bay Fencing Academy)  

6th: Nathan Munguia (LA Fencing Academy of Pomona / Laguna Fencing Center)  

7th: Diego Barrios (South Bay Fencing Academy)  

8th: Nikhil Hotha (Nazlymov Fencing Foundation) 

Vet-40 Women’s Saber 

Gold Medalist and National Champion: Yelena Kalkina (Oregon Fencing Alliance) 

Silver: Blanca Marentes (Salle Auriol Seattle) 

Bronze: Elisabet Chiarelli (Manhattan Fencing Center)  

Bronze: Laura Johnson (Capitol) 

5th: Clare Deming (Lilov Fencing Academy) 

6th: Agnieszka Koszyk (RedStar Fencing Club Chicago) 

7th: Kate Sierra (Atlantic Fencing Academy) 

8th: Lynn Zhang (PDX Fencing) 

Vet-50 Women’s Saber 

Gold Medalist and National Champion: Julie Seal (Valkyrie Fencing Club) 

Silver: Jasmina Denner (Scarsdale Fencing Center) 

Bronze: Frauke Berman (Manhattan Fencing Center)  

Bronze: Nadia S. Dreyer (Nova Fencing Club) 

5th: Leigh Altman (Atlantic Fencing Academy) 

6th: Eileen Foley (Denver Fencing Center) 

7th: Yik Chun Wu (Nellya Fencers) 

8th: Yoko Oishi (PDX Fencing) 

Vet-60 Women’s Saber 

Gold Medalist and National Champion: Beth S. Vance (Renaissance Fencing Club) 

Silver: Nam Heui Kim (Cambridge Fencing Center)  

Bronze: Jennette Starks-Faulkner (Connecticut Fencers Club)  

Bronze: Robin Pernice (Dynamo Fencing Center Inc.) 

5th: Heidi Runyan (Spartak) 

6th: Lydia Fabry (Avant Garde Fencers Club, Inc / South Bay Fencing Academy) 

7th: Cynthia (Cindy) Starr (Bergen Fencing Club) 

8th: Robin King (Salle Auriol Seattle) 

Vet-70 Women’s Saber 

Gold Medalist and National Champion: Jeannine M. Bender (Capital Fencing Academy) 

Silver: Linda Dunn (IndySabre / Indianapolis Fencing Club)  

Bronze: Judith (Jude) Offerle (RedStar Fencing Club Chicago / University Of Notre Dame)  

Bronze: Marsha Reichman (Fencing Sports Academy, Inc. / Capital Fencing Academy) 

5th: Dede Deane (Salle Green Fencing School) 

6th: Claire Hanamoto (Hangtown Saber Club) 

7th: Gemin Channing (Rockville Fencing Academy / Nazlymov Fencing Foundation) 

8th: Erica Julien (Forge Fencing Teams / Cape Fear Fencing Association) 

Vet-40 Men’s Foil 

Gold Medalist and National Champion: Peter Habala (RedStar Fencing Club Chicago) 

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

Bronze: Stephen N. Pashby (Forge Fencing Teams)  

Bronze: Patricio A. Moreno Briones (Northwest Fencing Center)  

5th: Mitchell D. Lane (Fencing Club Asheville)  

6th: Jason Brown (Ludus Fencing Studio)  

7th: Jesse Mones (Lotus Fencing Academy)  

8th: Thomas Cheng (Stoccata Fencing Academy & Club / Penta Olympic Fencing Club) 

Vet-50 Men’s Foil 

Gold Medalist and National Champion: Marek Wyszynski (Fencers Club Inc.)  

Silver: Oliver Foellmer (LA International Fencing)  

Bronze: Ted Koehn (Salle Auriol Seattle)  

Bronze: Rafael Suarez (Masters Fencing Club)  

5th: Frets Olivares (Fencers Club Inc.)  

6th: Nathan Anderson (Denver Fencing Center)  

7th: Tobias Lee (Metro Tacoma Fencing Club)  

8th: Roustam Pimoutkine (Fencers Club Inc.) 

Vet-60 Men’s Foil 

Gold Medalist and National Champion: Paul Epply-Schmidt (Bucks County Academy Of Fencing / Sebastiani Fencing Academy) 

Silver:Stephen R. Gross (Rockville Fencing Academy) 

Bronze:Oscar M. Estell (Halberstadt Fencers' Club)  

Bronze: Omar Fadl (AIC Fencing Club)  

5th: Jamie M. Douraghy (LA International Fencing) 

6th: Philippe Bennett (Fencers Club Inc.)  

7th: Gerald (Jerry) A. LeBlanc (Elite Fencing Club / LA International Fencing)  

8th: Gary M. Hayenga (Plymouth/Ann Arbor Fencing Academy / Ann Arbor Dueling Society) 

Vet-70 Men’s Foil 

Gold Medalist and National Champion: Joseph S. Streb (Columbus International Fencing Academy / Royal Arts Fencing Academy) 

Silver: Joseph E. Biebel (AZ United Fencing Club)  

Bronze: Michael A. Ress (Hudson Centers For The Martial Arts)  

Bronze: Thomas W. Lutton (Denver Fencing Center / LE CLUB TOUCHE)  

5th: Richard Mayer (New Jersey Division) 

6th: Frank Thomiszer (Bluegrass Fencers' Club)  

7th: Heik Hambarzumian (Gryphon Fencing)  

8th: Malcolm D. Patterson (Rockville Fencing Academy) 

Vet-80 Men’s Foil 

Gold Medalist and National Champion: Davis W. Carvey (Rain City Fencing Center / Salle Auriol Seattle) 

Silver: Tung-Shan (Fritz) Chang (NEMA Fencing Center)  

Bronze: Stephen Neff (Fencing Academy Of Philadelphia)  

Bronze: Elmer Dean Martin III (LA International Fencing) 

Veteran Team Women's Foil  

Gold Medalists: Brooklyn College and Friends (Anne-Marie Walters, Georgina Love, Jennette Starks-Faulkner, & Sharone Huey) 

Silver: Team FeNCe (Judith Bassik, Jane Carter, Alison Frey, Margaret Kerr) 

Bronze: Vet-170 (Kathryn Pierrynowski, Traci Sethre, Julie Seal, & Velyn Wu) 

Veteran Team Men's Saber  

Gold Medalists: Troublemakers (Ronald Thorton, Stephen Dashnaw, Dmitri Koplyov, & Chris Matt) 

Silver: Four Swordsmen of the Apocalypse (Matthew Zoller, Antonio Escueta Jr., Todd Bukowski, & Mariusz Dolegiewicz) 

Bronze: Remington Steel (Michael Bacon, Naoum Issa, Derek Plonka, & James Zirkle 

Y-14 Women’s Epee 

Gold Medalist and National Champion: Regina Lee (Swords Fencing Studio) 

Silver: Melinda Yao (Alliance Fencing Academy)  

Bronze: Sierra Springer (Olympia Fencing Center)  

Bronze: Katherine Nemeth (Alliance Fencing Academy)  

5th: Olivia Lee (Swords Fencing Studio)  

6th: Maya M. Kozlowski (Woodlands International Fencing Club)  

7th: Chloe (CJ) Tolsma (Alliance Fencing Academy) 

8th: Eva Kumar (Medeo Fencing Club) 

 

See the complete results on Fencing Time. 

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