(Richmond, Va.) – A silver medalist at the Junior Olympic Championships in February, 16-year-old Sara Taffel (New York City, N.Y.) won her first cadet (U17) foil title on the final day of the North American Cup on Monday.
“It doesn’t feel real. It hasn’t hit me yet. I have the gold medal in my hand, but it doesn’t feel like I won,” said Taffel who defeated Elizabeth Harvey (CAN) in the final.
Up 6-5 after the first break, Taffel took control of the bout during the second period when she earned a 14-7 lead.
“During the breaks, [Coach] Irene [Gershon] told me to just keep focusing on doing what I was doing and then just go around her parry. I kept hitting a lot on the parry-riposte and it just clicked for me and I got the distance right and then just changed it up with counter-attacks,” Taffel said.
With one touch left to win the bout, Taffel kept hitting Harvey off-target and the bout went into the third period.
“I was getting really annoyed. I probably should have just kept doing what I was doing, parry-riposte, but I wanted to win so badly that I just kept trying to hit her as fast as I can,” said Taffel who scored the winning touch in the third period to finish the bout, 15-8.
Ranked second in the nation in cadet foil, Taffel has been competing for seven years and is training for a spot on the 2012 Cadet World Championship Team at the Fencers Club – a program that has produced Olympic and World Championship fencers.
“It’s awesome. I’m so fortunate. I have amazing coaches and amazing people to train with. Who else gets to train with Olympians like that? I get to train with Emily Cross on a daily basis and Nicole and Nzingha on the senior team,” Taffel said. “I’ve been with them for so long. Everyone’s really friendly and so supportive. I love fencing them. Even if I lose, it just makes me more motivated to keep going.
After winning bronze in the Division III saber event on Saturday for fencers rated as a D or lower, 14-year-old Jessica Rockford (Livingston, N.J.) earned her first NAC title in the Division II event for fencers with a C or lower rating. Rockford won her first five bouts to get to the finals where she defeated Rachel Lamarre (CAN), 15-12, to win gold.
In the Division II foil event, John Molloy III (Wallingford, Pa.) was the top fencer in a field of 142. Seeded #3 after the pools, Molloy won six bouts to advance to the gold medal final against Umar Masood (Pittsford, N.Y.) whom he defeated, 15-14, to earn the title.
Seventeen-year-old Juliana Petersen (Summit, N.J.) won four bouts to advance to the Division III epee final where she defeated Marie Siliciano (Saint Paul, Minn.), 15-13, to win gold at her first North American Cup.
Click here to view full results.
Top eight and U.S. results are as follows:
Cadet Women’s Foil
1. Sara Taffel (New York City, N.Y.)
2. Eleanor Harvey (CAN)
3. Elizabeth Meyers (Scarsdale, N.Y.)
3. Sabrina Massialas (San Francisco, Calif.)
5. Jessie Laffey (Jersey City, N.J.)
6. Ashley Tsue (Overland Park, Kans.)
7. Kaila Budofsky (New York City, N.Y.)
8. Julia Lee (Montville, N.J.)
Division II Women’s Saber
1. Jessica Rockford (Springfield, N.J.)
2. Rachel Lamarre (CAN)
3. Dana Kong (Princeton, N.J.)
3. Brianna Steele (Mesa, Ariz.)
5. Natalia Dashnaw (Wayne, N.J.)
6. Noa Allen (Atlanta, Ga.)
7. Grace Castro (Narragansett, R.I.)
8. Madeline Curzon (Sherwood, Ore.)
Division II Men’s Foil
1. John Molloy III (Wallingford, Pa.)
2. Umar Masood (Pittsford, N.Y.)
3. Benjamin Wenzel (White Post, Va.)
3. Nicolas Graziano (Brooklyn, N.Y.)
5. Nolen Scruggs (Ozone Park, N.Y.)
6. Eamonn Gomez-Perales (CAN)
7. Sean Callaghan (Pocatello, Idaho)
8. John Vivian (Spotsylvania, Va.)
Division III Women’s Epee
1. Juliana Petersen (Summit, N.J.)
2. Marie Siliciano (Saint Paul, Minn.)
3. Anna Gooch (Sierra Madre, Calif.)
3. Katie Wahler (Palo Alto, Calif.)
5. Mounica Paturu (Plainsboro, N.J.)
6. Kaitlin Crow (Woodstock, Ga.)
7. Kate Dusinberre (Dover, N.H.)
8. Kassidy-An Lupardus (Houston, Texas)
Tag(s): News
