USA Fencing

(Colorado Springs, Colo.) – Caira Moreira-Brown (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and David Hadler (San Francisco, Calif.) opened the Junior and Cadet Pan American Championships with gold medal wins for Team USA in Ponce, Puerto Rico on Wednesday.

Just days after fencing at the Gothenburg Cadet European Cup in Sweden on Saturday, Moreira-Brown began the cadet women’s epee event in Puerto Rico with an undefeated run in the pools.

As the top seed, Moreira-Brown earned a bye into the quarter-finals where she defeated Leyla-Elise Couture (CAN), 15-8.

In the semifinals, Moreira-Brown defeated Oriana Tovar Karaindros (COL), 15-10.

After a break between sessions and an Opening Ceremony for all participants, Moreira-Brown fenced Canadian Qian Ye for a chance at gold.

Moreira-Brown led the bout, 3-2, after the first period and went on to take the win, 15-12.

Seeded second after the pools, 16-year-old Sarah Waller (McKinney, Texas) also earned a bye into the quarter-finals, but she missed a medal by a single touch when she lost to Naira Ferreira (BRA), 15-14 and finished fifth.

Sixteen-year-old David Hadler (San Francisco, Calif.) posted an undefeated record in the pools to earn both a top seed in the direct elimination tables and a bye into the table of 16 where he defeated Guillermo Gonzalez Dalmasy (PUR), 15-6.

Fencing in the quarter-finals of an international event for the first time, Hadler won his bout over Henrique Marques (BRA), 15-9.

In the semifinals, Hadler fenced his second Brazilian team member of the day, Eduardo Gastal and won the bout, 15-13.

Hadler took an early lead in his gold medal bout against Patrik Dula (CAN), 3=0, but the Canadian came back to tie the bout at seven. Hadler scored twice more against Dula to lead the bout, 9-8, after the first break.

With Dula ahead in the second period, 12-11, Hadler scored three straight touches and gave up just one score en route to winning the bout, 15-13.

Representing Team USA for the first time, 16-year-old Devon Reina (Stony Brook, N.Y.) and 15-year-old Jake Shulman (Upper Saddle River, N.J.) both advanced to the quarterfinals.

Reina defeated Joseph Quinones Ocasio (PUR), 14-13, in the table of 16 and placed fifth after a 15-13 loss to Connor Hopkins (CAN).

Shulman won his bout over Nelson Martinez (VEN), but lost to Dula, 15-6, in the quarters to finish eighth.

Like his teammates, 15-year-old Zachary Feldman (Princeton, N.J.) also earned a bye into the table of 16, but the first-time team member lost his bout to Rafael Melaragno (BRA), 15-11.

Fencing as Team USA’s lone cadet men’s saber fencer, 17-year-old Sandy Vingoe (New York City, N.Y.) was seeded 11^th out of the pools and won his table of 16 bout over Jose Rosario (PUR), 15-8.

In the quarter-finals, Vingoe lost to Jihad Kabbaj (CAN), 15-8, to finish in eighth place.

Competition continues on Thursday when the following events will be contested:

Junior Women’s Foil
Liana Yamin (Allendale, N.J.)
Jessenia Zambrano (New York City, N.Y.)

Junior Men’s Saber
Gabriel Armijo (San Diego, Calif.)
Sandy Vingoe (New York City, N.Y.)

Click here to view complete cadet women’s epee results.

Click here to view complete cadet men’s foil results.

Click here to view complete cadet men’s saber results.

Top eight and U.S. results are as follows:

Cadet Women’s Epee Pan American Championships
1. Caira Moreira-Brown (New York City, N.Y.)
2. Qian Ye (CAN)
3. Naira Ferreira (BRA)
3. Oriana Tovar Karaindros (COL)
5. Sarah Waller (Houston, Texas)
6. Sabrina Lopez Soto (PUT)
8. Leyla-Elise Couture (CAN)

Cadet Men’s Foil Pan American Championships
1. David Hadler (San Francisco, Calif.)
2. Patrik Dula (CAN)
3. Eduardo Gastal (BRA)
3. Connor Hopkins (CAN)
5. Devon Reina (Stony Brook, N.Y.)
6. Rafael Melaragno (BRA)
7. Henrique Marques (BRA)
8. Jake Shulman (Upper Saddle River, N.J.)

12. Zachary Feldman (Princeton, N.J.)

Cadet Men’s Saber Pan American Championships
1. Hector Florencia (MEX)
2. Adrian Acuna Ramirez (MEX)
3. Jihad Kabbaj (CAN)
3. Kevin Madrid (MEX)
5. Sebastian Cuellar (COL)
6. Stefano Ivan Lucchetti (ARG)
7. Javier Alejandro Hernandez Flores (MEX)
8. Sandy Vingoe (New York City, N.Y.)