USA Fencing

(Columbus, Ohio) – Competition at the National Championships and July North American Cup will be highlighted by a group of local fencers that includes past Senior and Veteran World Team members and medalists, an Olympic referee and multiple members of the Ohio State University Fencing Team.

Of the nearly 4,000 fencers competing at the Columbus Convention Center from June 28 – July 7, more than 160 hail from the Buckeye State.

USA Fencing President Don Anthony Jr. (Columbus, Ohio) won the Veteran 50-59 men’s saber national title in 2012 and is hoping to return to the top of the podium and qualify for his third Veteran World Team. A former NCAA finalist and two-time Senior World Team member, Anthony won the silver medal at the 2010 Veteran Worlds and placed in the top eight at the 2012 Veteran Worlds.

Joseph Streb (Columbus, Ohio) won his second Veteran World medal with a silver in 2012. The Veteran 60-69 saber fencer has represented Team USA seven times and will be joined in this competition by his daughter Sterling Streb (Columbus, Ohio) – a sophomore fencer at OSU – who will be competing in the Division II women’s saber competition and his son Joseph Streb Jr. (Columbus, Ohio) – a former OSU fencer who will be competing in both the Division II men’s saber and Division IA men’s foil events.

Men’s epee fencer Walter Dragonetti (Elyria, Ohio) won gold at the 2009 Veteran Worlds and is looking to qualify for his seventh straight team and a chance at a fourth medal when Team USA competes at the 2013 Veteran Worlds in October.

A Shaker Heights native, Courtney Dumas is one of the top women’s epee fencers in the nation and recently qualified for the 2013 World University Games. A rising junior at Northwestern, Dumas is currently ranked 11^th in the nation and is a top candidate to take gold in the Division IA women’s epee event.

Although there are a host of fencers with ties to OSU competing in Columbus, former Buckeye fencer Doug Findlay (Columbus, Ohio) is the only one who can say he was once named “Best Referee in the World.” A two-time Olympic referee, Findlay was honored in 2012 by the Federation International d’Escrime for being the best foil referee in the world during the 2011-2012 international season. Although Findlay has not competed in a major event in more than a decade, the former Division IA National Champion could be one to watch in the Division II men’s foil competition.

A number of current Ohio State fencers will take the strip this weekend as well, including U19 women’s foil fencer Kyjah Coryat (New York City, N.Y.), a sophomore at OSU, and Alexa Antipas (Stony Brook, N.Y.) One of OSU’s top recruits for the incoming freshman class, the former Junior Olympic Champion won gold at the Division IA Nationals in 2012 and will fence in the U19 women’s saber event.

A complete list of Ohio fencers competing at the National Championships and July North American Cup is as follows:

Friday, June 28

Division II Women’s Foil
Eleni Christofides (Dublin, Ohio)
Kirsten Denman (Yellow Springs, Ohio)
Chelsey Howell (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Abigail Kaye (Columbus, Ohio)
Gabriele McCullar (South Euclid, Ohio)

Division III Men’s Epee
National Championships
Michael Anderson (Newark, Ohio)
Gavin Barbin (Columbus, Ohio)
Max Cowan (Shaker Heights, Ohio)
Aaron Dennis (Euclid, Ohio)
Matthew Kopchick (Talmadge, Ohio)
Zane Steiber (Shaker Heights, Ohio)
Shaun Stevenson (Columbus, Ohio)
Steve Ulanowski (Centerville, Ohio)

Veteran 40-49 Men’s Foil
National Championships
William Bischof (Mason, Ohio)
Matthew Denman (Yellow Springs, Ohio)
Peter Grandbois (Granville, Ohio)
Tim Mills (Westerville, Ohio)
Steve Smith (Hebron, Ohio)

Veteran 50-59 Men’s Foil
National Championships
Steve Bell (Shaker Heights, Ohio)
Jeffrey Hudson (Glendale, Ohio)
Vince Perlmutter (Powell, Ohio)
Tony Pigford (Loveland, Ohio)

Veteran 60-69 Men’s Foil
National Championships
Michael Ress (Amelia, Ohio)
Joseph Streb (Columbus, Ohio)

Veteran 50-59 Women’s Epee
National Championships
Katherine McCormick (Hudson, Ohio)

Veteran 40-49 Women’s Epee
National Championships
Michelle Zehe (Parma, Ohio)

Saturday, June 29

Division II Men’s Saber
National Championships
Frank Ditullio (Bexley, Ohio)
Patrick Jackson (Dayton, Ohio)
John Marshall (Cleveland, Ohio)
Joseph Streb Jr. (Columbus, Ohio)

Division II Women’s Epee
National Championships
Megan Amling (Columbus, Ohio)
Lauryn DeLuca (Parma, Ohio)
Alexandra Dickinson (Medina, Ohio)
Abigail Kaye (Columbus, Ohio)
Lauren McCoy (Parma Heights)
Megan O’Reilly (Akron, Ohio)
Brooke Snyder (Painesville, Ohio)

Division III Women’s Foil
National Championships
Kirsten Denman (Yellow Springs, Ohio)
Kaylea Dillon (Gahanna, Ohio)
Amy Ewbank (Newark, Ohio)
Stephanie Lee (Broadview Heights, Ohio)
Gabriele McCullar (South Euclid, Ohio)
Samantha Miller (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Bonnie Sparhawk (Columbus, Ohio)

Veteran 40-49 Men’s Epee
National Championships
R. Jay Kline (Wadsworth, Ohio)
Gary Procop (Twinsburg, Ohio)
Shaun Stevenson (Columbus, Ohio)

Veteran 50-59 Men’s Epee
National Championships
Michael Anderson (Newark, Ohio)
Steve Bell (Shaker Heights, Ohio)
Walter Dragonetti (Elyria, Ohio)
Jeffrey Hudson (Glendale, Ohio)
Frederick Hunker (Worthington, Ohio)
Eric Tawney (North Royalton, Ohio)

Veteran 60-69 Men’s Epee
National Championships
Michael Ress (Amelia, Ohio)

Veteran 40-49 Women’s Saber
National Championships
Myriam Gluck (Dublin, Ohio)
Sara Kass (Solon, Ohio)
Julia Richey (Westerville, Ohio)

Veteran Men’s Team Foil
July North American Cup
Old Goats of the Knights of the Old Code: Michael Anderson (Newark, Ohio), Steve Smith (Hebron, Ohio), Daniel Dobbelaer (Newark, Ohio)
Royal Arts Kings Guard: Shaun Stevenson (Columbus, Ohio), Tim Mills (Westerville, Ohio), Vince Perlmutter (Powell, Ohio)
Royal Arts Minions: Gary Goodrich (Columbus, Ohio), Brian Nutwell (Dublin, Ohio), Russell Halsey (Gahanna, Ohio)

Sunday, June 30

Division IA Women’s Epee National Championships
Courtney Dumas (Shaker Heights, Ohio)
Lauren McCoy (Parma Heights)

Division II Men’s Epee
National Championships
Eric Barth (Columbus, Ohio)
Jacob Henkels (Strongsville, Ohio)
Frederick Hunker (Worthington, Ohio)
Aaron Hutchinson (Columbus, Ohio)
R. Jay Kline (Wadsworth, Ohio)
Matthew Kopchick (Talmadge, Ohio)
Michael Ress (Amelia, Ohio)
Rotislav Tesler (Westerville, Ohio)

Division III Men’s Foil
National Championships
Mark Conaway (Bloomington, Ohio)
Matthew Denman (Yellow Springs, Ohio)
Daniel Dobbelaer (Newark, Ohio)
Eli Goldweber (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Tim Mills (Westerville, Ohio)
Steve Smith (Hebron, Ohio)
Dan Vance (Milford, Ohio)
Derek Wang (Dublin, Ohio)
Matvey Yang (Dublin, Ohio)

Division III Women’s Saber
National Championships
Myriam Gluck (Dublin, Ohio)
Maya Szonn-Lillard (Dublin, Ohio)

Veteran 40-49 Men’s Saber
National Championships
Peter Grandbois (Granville, Ohio)
Mikhail Mironovas (Columbus, Ohio)

Veteran 50-59 Men’s Saber
National Championships
Donald Anthony Jr. (Columbus, Ohio)
Samuel Lillard (Dublin, Ohio)

Veteran 60-69 Men’s Saber
National Championships
Frank Nagorney (Pepper Pike, Ohio)
Joseph Streb (Columbus, Ohio)
Michael Szathmary (Cincinnati, Ohio)

Veteran 40-49 Women’s Foil
Julia Richey (Westerville, Ohio)
Michelle Zehe (Parma, Ohio)

Veteran Men’s Team Epee
July North American Cup
Fencing Club of Nevada: Walter Dragonetti (Elyria, Ohio)
Royal Arts Kings Musketeers: Shaun Stevenson (Columbus, Ohio), Tim Mills (Westerville, Ohio), Mark Ditullio (Bexley, Ohio)
Royal Arts Swashbucklers: Michael Anderson (Newark, Ohio), Joseph Francik (Reynoldsburg, Ohio), Russell Halsey (Gahanna, Ohio)

Monday, July 1

Division IA Men’s Epee National Championships
Leonard Behrens (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Ian Broderick (Hudson, Ohio)
Walter Dragonetti (Elyria, Ohio)

Division IA Women’s Foil
Abigail Kaye (Columbus, Ohio)

Division II Men’s Foil
National Championships
Doug Findlay (Columbus, Ohio)
Eli Goldweber (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Tim Mills (Westerville, Ohio)
Kyle Roat (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Jordan Tefs (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Matvey Yang (Dublin, Ohio)
Michael Zeng (Dublin, Ohio)

Division II Women’s Saber
National Championships
E. Sterling Streb (Columbus, Ohio)
Maya Szonn-Lillard (Dublin, -Ohio)

Division III Men’s Saber
National Championships
Frank Ditullio (Bexley, Ohio)
Samuel Lillard (Dublin, Ohio)
Kirklen Shedlock (Dublin, Ohio)
Patrick Jackson (Dayton, Ohio)

Division III Women’s Epee
National Championships
Megan Amling (Columbus, Ohio)
Maeve Billings (Shaker Heights, Ohio)
Amanda Brown (Middleburg Heights, Ohio)
Lauryn DeLuca (Parma, Ohio)
Kaylea Dillon (Gahanna, Ohio)
Anna Kukelhan (Cleveland, Ohio)
Megan O’Reilly (Akron, Ohio)
Brooke Snyder (Painesville, Ohio)

Veteran Women’s Team Foil
Rochester Reunites: Cynthia Bent-Findlay (Columbus, Ohio)

Veteran Men’s Team Saber
July North American Cup
Columbus Fencing and Fitness: Peter Grandbois (Granville, Ohio), Samuel Lillard (Dublin, Ohio), Frank Nagorney (Pepper Pike, Ohio)
Fencer’s Club of Arizona: Donald Anthony (Columbus, Ohio)

Tuesday, July 2

Division IA Men’s Foil
National Championships
Peter McOwen (Dayton, Ohio)
Joseph Streb Jr. (Columbus, Ohio)

Senior Men’s Team Epee
National Championships
Eastern Kentucky University Fencing Club: Jacob Luning (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Hooked on Fencing Black: Nathan Arlington (Amherst, Ohio), Matt Bogard (Westlake, Ohio), Walter Dragonetti (Elyria, Ohio)
Hooked on Fencing Blue: Ian Broderick (Hudson, Ohio), Nikita Segalchik (North Royalton, Ohio), Michael Billinghurst (La Grange, Ohio)
Ligonier 2: Eric Barth (Columbus, Ohio), Matthew Kopchick (Talmadge, Ohio), decosmo, copchik harris
Two Ravens Fencing School: John Marshall (Cleveland, Ohio), Brian Stone (Strongsville, Ohio), R. Jay Kline (Wadsworth, Ohio)

Senior Women’s Team Epee
Hooked on Fencing: Courtney Dumas (Shaker Heights, Ohio), Megan O’Reilly (Akron, Ohio), Becca Rutan (Strongsville, Ohio), Julia Leszko (Cleveland Heights, Ohio)
Two Ravens Fencing School: Brooke Snyder (Painesville, Ohio), Alexandra Dickinson (Medina, Ohio), Lauren McCoy (Parma Heights), Paula Marvinney (Cleveland, Ohio)

Y14 Women’s Foil
National Championships
Kaylea Dillon (Gahanna, Ohio)
Caroline Jipa (Columbus, Ohio)

Y14 Men’s Saber
National Championships
Tom Anglim (Powell, Ohio)
Elliott Chapman-Layland (Worthington, Ohio)
Matthew Korzenko (Lewis Center, Ohio)
Kirk Whitney (Grove City, Ohio)

U16 Women’s Epee
July North American Cup
Megan Amling (Columbus, Ohio)
Maeve Billings (Shaker Heights, Ohio)
Madison Frey (Newark, Ohio)
Caitlin Griffin (Orange, Ohio)
Megan O’Reilly (Akron, Ohio)

Y10 Men’s Epee
July North American Cup
Caiden Cannon (Gahanna, Ohio)
Emerson Halliday (New Albany, Ohio)
Ethan Howe (St. Mary’s, Ohio)

Wednesday, July 3

Senior Men’s Team Foil
National Championships
Eastern Kentucky University Fencing Club: Jacob Luning (Cincinnati, Ohio)

Y14 Men’s Epee
National Championships
Alex Amling (Columbus, Ohio)
Harry Ditullio (Bexley, Ohio)
Nicholas Griffiths (Hinckley, Ohio)
Jacob Henkels (Strongsville, Ohio)
Stephen Kimatian (Richfield, Ohio)
Jason McArthur (Euclid, Ohio)
Kyle Obrenski (Willoughby, Ohio)
Ben Wilson (Shaker Heights, Ohio)

U19 Women’s Epee
July North American Cup
Megan Amling (Columbus, Ohio)
Caitlin Griffin (Orange, Ohio)
Megan O’Reilly (Akron, Ohio)

U16 Women’s Saber
Kelli Wozniak (Westerville, Ohio)

Y12 Women’s Foil
July North American Cup
Alyson Gruber (Hilliard, Ohio)
Madeline Passerrello (Westerville, Ohio)
Kristen Ruscitelli (Dayton, Ohio)

Y10 Men’s Foil
July North American Cup
Nicholas Allen (Columbus, Ohio)
Caiden Cannon (Gahanna, Ohio)
Julian Chitu (Columbus, Ohio)
William King (New Albany, Ohio)
Edward Schleicher (Columbus, Ohio)
Spencer Stevenson (Bexley, Ohio)
Thomas Sturges (Columbus, Ohio)
Alain Welliver (Columbus, Ohio)

Thursday, July 4

Y14 Women’s Epee
National Championships
Maeve Billings (Shaker Heights, Ohio)
Lauryn DeLuca (Parma, Ohio)
Kaylea Dillon (Gahanna, Ohio)
Dagny Sacksteder (Hinckley, Ohio)
Leah Stevenson (Bexley, Ohio)

U19 Men’s Foil
July North American Cup
Leon Cao (West Chester, Ohio)
Seth Dobbelaer (Newark, Ohio)
Eli Goldweber (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Aaron Hutchinson (Columbus, Ohio)
Jordan Tefs (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Derek Wang (Dublin, Ohio)
Matvey Yang (Dublin, Ohio)
Michael Zeng (Dublin, Ohio)

U16 Men’s Epee
July North American Cup
Leonard Behrens (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Jacob Henkels (Strongsville, Ohio)
Stephen Kimatian (Richfield, Ohio)
Nicholas Masso (Shaker Heights, Ohio)
Andrew Pidhorodeckyi (Akron, Ohio)

Y10 Women’s Foil
Chloe Gouhin (Blacklick, Ohio)
Payton Halsey (Gahanna, Ohio)
Madeline Passerrello (Westerville, Ohio)
Anais Sturges (Columbus, Ohio)

Y10 Men’s Saber
July North American Cup
Nischal Chennuru (Powell, Ohio)
Kaleb Myers (Gahanna, Ohio)

Friday, July 5

Y14 Men’s Foil
National Championships
Avery Lenz (Forest Park, Ohio)
John Merrell (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Conal Orem (Powell, Ohio)
Bennett Palmer (Novelty, Ohio)
Fergus Pearson (Cleveland Heights, Ohio)
Kyle Willette (Brunswick, Ohio)
Matvey Yang (Dublin, Ohio)
Luke Zagara (Shaker Heights, Ohio)
Michael Zeng (Dublin, Ohio)

Y14 Women’s Saber
National Championships
Elizabeth Drobiz (Columbus, Ohio)
Nicole Fisher (Columbus, Ohio)
Ariel Gluck (Dublin, Ohio)
Alyson Gruber (Hilliard, Ohio)
Lauren Phillips (Dublin, Ohio)
Jewelia Smith (Westerville, Ohio)
Maya Szonn-Lillard (Dublin, Ohio)
Kelli Wozniak (Westerville, Ohio)

U19 Women’s Foil
July North American Cup
Abigail Kaye (Columbus, Ohio)
Taylor McIntyre (Blacklick, Ohio)
Allison Pierok (West Chester, Ohio)
Aurora Smith (Hebron, Ohio)

U19 Men’s Saber
July North American Cup
Frank Ditullio (Bexley, Ohio)

Y12 Men’s Epee
July North American Cup
Nathan Martin (Pickerington, Ohio)
Scott Maurer (Solon, Ohio)
Ben Wilson (Shaker Heights, Ohio)
Michael Yeager (North Royalton, Ohio)

Y12 Women’s Epee
July North American Cup
Payton Halsey (Gahanna, Ohio)
Aeryn O’Reilly (Akron, Ohio)

Saturday, July 6

U19 Men’s Epee
July North American Cup
Michael Billinghurst (La Grange, Ohio)
Ian Broderick, Hudson, Ohio)
Jacob Henkels (Strongsville, Ohio)
Ryan Lucas (Athens, Ohio)
Andrew Pidhorodeckyi (Akron, Ohio)
Michael Saari (Gahanna, Ohio)
Nikita Segalchik (North Royalton, Ohio)
Rotislav Tesler (Westerville, Ohio)

U16 Men’s Foil
July North American Cup
Leon Cao (West Chester, Ohio)
John Merrell (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Fergus Pearson (Cleveland Heights, Ohio)
Derek Wang (Dublin, Ohio)
Matvey Yang (Dublin, Ohio)
Michael Zeng (Dublin, Ohio)

Junior Women’s Team Foil
Salle Du Lion: Abigail Kaye (Columbus, Ohio), Allison Pierok (West Chester, Ohio)

Y12 Men’s Saber
July North American Cup
Adam Gluck (Dublin, Ohio)
Benjamin Hawkins (Columbus, Ohio)
Kaleb Myers (Gahanna, Ohio)
Jackson Rathmell (Lockbourne, Ohio)

Y10 Women’s Saber
July North American Cup
Rachel Gaunt (Westerville, Ohio)
Nora Daly (Dublin, Ohio)

Sunday, July 7

U16 Men’s Saber
July North American Cup
Tom Anglim (Powell, Ohio)
Frank Ditullio (Bexley, Ohio)
Matthew Korzenko (Lewis Center, Ohio)
James Shannon (Columbus, Ohio)
Kirk Whitney (Grove City, Ohio)

Junior Men’s Team Epee
July North American Cup
Firebird Fencing Black: Leonard Behrens (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Hooked on Fencing Black: Ian Broderick (Hudson, Ohio), Nikita Segalchik (North Royalton, Ohio), Michael Billinghurst (La Grange, Ohio)
Hooked on Fencing Blue: Andrew Pidhorodeckyi (Akron, Ohio), Nicholas Griffiths (Hinckley, Ohio)

Y12 Men’s Foil
July North American Cup
Conal Orem (Powell, Ohio)
Harry Passerrello (Westerville, Ohio)

Y10 Women’s Epee
July North American Cup
Payton Halsey (Gahanna, Ohio)
Clara McConnell (Bexley, Ohio)
Tierna Oxenreider (Reynoldsburg, Ohio)
Sonya Pldhorodeckyj (Copley, Ohio)

U16 Women’s Foil
Allison Pierok (West Chester, Ohio)

Y12 Women’s Saber
Ariel Gluck (Dublin, Ohio)
Isabella Petrus (Rocky River, Ohio)
Jewelia Smith (Westerville, Ohio)