(Colorado Springs, Colo.) – Sixteen-year-old Francesca Russo (Wayne, N.J.) earned her fourth straight top-eight international finish of the season on Saturday when she placed sixth at the Dormagen Junior Saber World Cup in Germany.
After top-eight finishes in cadet (U17) events in Godollo, Hungary and Konin, Poland, Russo placed eighth in the first Junior World Cup of the season in Sosnowiec, Poland last month.
On Saturday, Russo went undefeated in the pools and earned both a #4 seed into the direct elimination tables and a bye into the table of 64.
Russo won her opening bout, 15-6, over Lea Ottenbacher (GER) in the table of 64 and defeated Anna German (RUS), 15-12, in the table of 32.
In the table of 16, Russo met Olena Kravatska (UKR) – the #3-ranked U20 saber fencer in the world. Russo led the bout from start to finish before taking the victory, 15-9.
After a close first half in the quarter-finals, Martyna Watora (POL) pulled away in the second half to win their bout, 15-6.
Russo’s Bergen Fencing Club and 2011 Junior World Teammate Celina Merza (Wayne, N.J.) finished 13th.
Seeded 47th, Merza defeated Marino Kimura (JPN), 15-10, to advance to the table of 64 where she won her bout against Eleonore Gerard (FRA), 15-12.
Up 8-7 at the half in her table of 32 bout against Saoussen Boudiaf (FRA), Merza went on a three-touch run in the second period to build a four-point lead. Merza took the win, 15-12 to advance to the table of 16.
In the table of 16, Kata Varhelyi (HUN) defeated Merza, 15-5. Merza finished 13th overall – her first top-16 international result since tying for 14th at this event in 2010.
Sage Palmedo (Portland, Ore.), Margaret McDonald (Atlanta, Ga.), Skyla Powers (Atlanta, Ga.), Claudia Kulmacz (Upper Saddle River, N.J.), Allison Lee (Saddle River, N.J.) and Lena Johnson (Peachtree City, Ga.) each advanced to the table of 64.
The men’s Junior World Cup also was held on Saturday with 2011 Cadet World Team member Geoffrey Loss (Laguna Beach, Calif.) earning the top finish for the U.S. men with a 28th place result – Loss’s top finish at a Junior World Cup event.
Loss came back from a five-point deficit against Mariusz Manczak (POL) at the half of their table of 128 bout to earn his first win, 15-13.
In the table of 64, Loss defeated U.S. teammate Daniel Kim (Upper Saddle River, N.J.), 15-10, and advanced as the only member of the U.S. squad to compete in the table of 32.
Loss kept his next bout against Yuriy Tsap (UKR) close, but, with the score tied at 13, Tsap earned the next two touches to win the bout, 15-13.
In addition to Kim, four other U.S. team members advanced to the table of 64, including: John Hallsten (Sacramento, Calif.), Michael Josephs (Chevy Chase, Md.), Andrew Herczak (Randolph, N.J.), Peter Pak (Roslyn, N.Y.) and Daniel Kim (Upper Saddle River, N.J.)
Top eight and U.S. results are as follows:
Women’s Dormagen Junior Saber World Cup
1. Cateria Navarria (ITA)
2. Aliya Itkowitz (GBR)
3. Martyna Watora (POL)
3. Martina Petraglia (ITA)
5. Kata Varhelyi (HUN)
6. Francesca Russo (Wayne, N.J.)
7. Anja Musch (GER)
8. Tatiana Sukhova (RUS)
13. Celina Merza (Wayne, N.J.)
47. Sage Palmedo (Portland, Ore.)
48. Margaret McDonald (Atlanta, Ga.)
52. Claudia Kulmacz (Upper Saddle River, N.J.)
53. Allison Lee (Saddle River, N.J.)
58. Lena Johnson (Peachtree City, Ga.)
68. Adrienne Jarocki (Middle Village, N.Y.)
89. Anastasia Pineschi (Los Angeles, Calif.)
Men’s Dormagen Junior Saber World Cup
1. Stefano Scepi (ITA)
2. Maximilian Kindler (GER)
3. Christophe Buisson (FRA)
3. Emmanuel Gans (FRA)
5. Luca Curatoli (ITA)
6. Yuriy Tsap (UKR)
7. Robin Schrodter (GER)
8. Curtis Miller (GBR)
28. Geoffrey Loss (Laguna Beach, Calif.)
39. John Hallsten (Sacramento, Calif.)
41. Michael Josephs (Chevy Chase, Md.)
46. Andrew Herczak (Randolph, N.J.)
51. Peter Pak (Roslyn, N.Y.)
63. Daniel Kim (Upper Saddle River, N.J.)
86. Denis Dukhvalov (Salisbury Mills, N.Y.)
94. Christopher Ahn (Los Angeles, Calif.)
103. Stephen Yang (Lake Mary, Fla.)
104. Michael Wiest (Portland, Ore.)
122. Andrew Mackiewicz (Westwood, Mass.)
126. Charles Copti (Wyckoff, N.J.)
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