(Richmond, Va.) – Fifteen-year-old Andrew Mackiewicz (Westwood, Mass.) has traveled around the world fencing in international fencing tournaments, but it was in Richmond where he earned his first gold medal of the season.
Following a bronze medal finish at the Konin European Cadet Cup in Poland and a top-16 placing in Godollo, Hungary during the last six weeks, Mackiewicz won gold in the cadet (U17) saber event at the October North American Cup on Saturday.
Mackiewicz gave up just three touches in the pool bouts to enter the table of 128 as the top seed.
After a bye and four bout wins to get into the quarter-finals, Mackiewicz defeated Pascal Lambert (CAN), 15-8, and faced teammate Isaac Buchwald (El Grenada, Calif.)
“We usually run into each other a lot at tournaments. We fenced each other in Poland, too, but it’s just something you get used to,” Mackiewicz said.
Mackiewicz earned a close win over Buchwald, 15-13,
In the gold medal final, Mackiewicz fenced Michael Costin (Culver, Calif.) who also won bronze in Poland last month. The two were exchanged touches until Costin took a 13-11 lead. Mackiewicz made a comeback, however, and scored the next four touches to win the bout, 15-13.
“At the beginning I saw what he was doing and gave up a couple touches and just worked off that and, with advice from my coach I was able to be successful,” Mackiewicz said.
Mackiewicz said his time competing abroad contributed to his gold medal win on Saturday.
“I just feel more relaxed and confident coming to the United States and fencing after being in Europe,” Mackiewicz said. “It’s a lot harder fencing in Europe where the top guys from every country are fencing and here you make it to the top 16 and it’s all your colleagues who you’ve fenced before.”
Mackiewicz will compete stateside until January when he returns to the cadet circuit in London with the goal of ultimately qualifying for the 2012 Cadet World Team.
Although she has been fencing for just three years, 14-year-old Madeline Kehl (Valencia, Calif.) made her first NAC medal a gold one as she earned the title in the U17 women’s epee.
After four bout wins, Kehl advanced to the semifinals against Signe Ferguson (New York City, N.Y.) where Ferguson took a 3-0 lead, but Kehl stayed in the bout, ultimately tying Ferguson 14-14. Both athletes scored double touches, but Kehl picked up a single to win the bout, 15-14.
In the gold medal final, Kehl and Annie Morelli (Brooklyn, N.Y.) were tied at two when Morelli called for a trainer. The request was deemed to be unsubstantiated and Morelli was given a red card which gave Kehl a point for a 3-2 lead. Kehl never looked back as she went on to earn the win, 15-10.
Like Mackiewicz, Kehl has her sights set on qualification for the 2012 Cadet World Team and will compete at her first European Cadet Cup in Modling, Austria next weekend.
Arizona State University fencer Michelle Mancenido represented the Philippines with her gold medal win in Division II foil for athletes ranked C level or lower by USA Fencing. Mancenido was seeded 30th after the pools, but went on a nine-touch run in the gold medal final to defeat fifteen-year-old Clarissa Allen (Newton, Pa.), 15-5.
Thirteen-year-old Jessica Whang (Westfield, N.J.) was the youngest gold medalist of the weekend so far. A gold medalist in the Y12 event at the North American Cup in Reno in July, Whang defeated Brooke Sirico (Bowie, Md.), 15-14, to win the gold in Division III women’s saber for athletes ranked D level or lower. Sirico, meanwhile, earned the first of two podium finishes for her family as older sister Amanda won bronze in the cadet women’s epee division just hours later.
Thirteen-year-old Zachary Zeller (Henderson, Nev.) won the Division III epee event. In a field of 116 competitors, Zeller needed six wins to advance to the final where he defeated Romain Cannone (New York City, N.Y.), 15-14, to win his first NAC gold.
Competition continues on Saturday at the Greater Richmond Convention Center with Cadet women’s saber and men’s foil, Division II men’s epee and Division III men’s saber and women’s foil.
Click here for complete results.
Top-eight results are as follows:
Cadet Men’s Saber
1. Andrew Mackiewicz (Westwood, Mass.)
2. Michael Costin (Culver, Calif.)
3. Isaac Buchwald (El Grenada, Calif.)
3. Andrew Herczak (Randolph, N.J.)
5. Evan Philpot (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
6. Eric Zhao (Potomac, Md.)
7. Pascal Lambert (CAN)
8. Jason Meng (Dallas, Texas)
Cadet Women’s Epee
1. Madeline Kehl (Valencia, Calif.)
2. Annie Morelli (Brooklyn, N.Y.)
3. Amanda Sirico (Bowie, Md.)
3. Signe Ferguson (New York City, N.Y.)
5. Victoria Wines (Mahopac, N.Y.)
6. Elizabeth Meyers (Scarsdale, N.Y.)
7. Leishla Otero (PUR)
8. Rita Somogyi (Portland, Ore.)
Division II Women’s Foil
1. Michelle Mancenido (PHI)
2. Clarissa Allen (Newton, Pa.)
3. Hali Nelson (Brookline, Mass.)
3. Isabella Chung (New York City, N.Y.)
5. Kasey Iverson (Basking Ridge, N.J.)
6. Julia Daum (Portland Ore.)
7. Devon Maguire (Gray, Maine)
8. Jessenia Zambrano (New York City, N.Y.)
Division III Women’s Saber
1. Jessica Whang (Westfield, N.J.)
2. Amanda Sirico (Bowie, Md.)
3. Jessica Rockford (Livingston, N.J.)
3. Madeline Curzon (Sherwood, Ore.)
5. Dana Kong (Princeton, N.J.)
6. Kaitlin Hester (Soutlake, Texas)
7. Melissa Curioso (Barrington, R.I.)
8. Marta Lasota (Silver Spring, Md.)
Division III Men’s Epee
1. Zachary Zeller (Henderson, Nev.)
2. Romain Cannone (New York City, N.Y.)
3. Ernest Sutton (Richmondhill Queens, N.Y.)
3. Maxwell Hampton (Bristol, R.I.)
5. Matthew Yin (Basking Ridge, N.J.)
6. Christopher Hughes (Tiverton, R.I.)
7. Frank Pellegrino (Marina Del Rey, Calif.)
8. Michael Slonim-Gopman (Staten Island, N.Y.)
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