Excitement surrounds Day 1 of the Cadet/Jr. World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan where Americans Will Spear and Kat Holmes are the first US fencers to earn a spot on the team to represent the US in the Youth Olympic Games in Singapore later this year.
In the Women's Epee competition, Kat Holmes from the DC area was hoping to top her 2nd place finish from the Cadet Championships last year in Belfast, IRE. In the quarterfinals, Holmes faced Alcerta Santuccio of Italy who went on to emerge as the World Champion.
On the men's side, Will Spear led the charge with a 9th place finish, losing 15-14 to Hungary's Andra Szatmari. Alexander Ryjik was not far behind will finishing 13th, after losing to the #1 seed Leonardo Affede, from Italy.
The excitement continues tomorrow with Women's foil and Men's Epee squads.
