USA Fencing

(Colorado Springs, Colo.) – U.S. athletes earned 18 medals, including six golds, at the Pan American Youth and Veteran Championships in San Jose, Costa Rica.

Team USA’s veteran men’s and women’s foil athletes dominated their fields with the U.S. women sweeping the podium and the men winning gold, silver and one bronze.

Two-time Veteran World medalist Jennette Starks-Faulkner (Middletown, Conn.) edged her teammate, four-time Veteran World medalist Anne-Marie Walters (Parkland, Fla.), 8-7, in the veteran women’s 50-59 foil gold medal final. Ursula Szpak (Trophy Club, Texas), a 2012 Veteran World Team member, and Lynette Whitt (Owings, Md.) each won bronze.

The veteran men’s 50-59 competition also included an All-American final between 2012 Veteran World Team members Ed Kaihatsu (Skokie, Ill.) and Jamie Douraghy (Los Angeles, Calif.) Kaihatsu defeated Douraghy, 10-2, to win gold while Philippe Bennett (New York City, N.Y.) placed third after a 10-6 loss to Douraghy.

Alan Buchwald (Big Sur, Calif.) took gold in the veteran men's +60 foil where he defeated Gaby Weisz (CAN), 10-4, in the semifinals and won his final bout over Carlos Pellejero (URU), 10-5. 

Seven-time Veteran World Team member Marianne Bosco (Harvest, Ala.) edged Milvia Cornacchia (CRC), 10-9, in the semifinals of the veteran women's 50-59 epee competition and won her first international title with a 10-6 victory over Guiselle Chacon (CRC). 

Five-time Veteran World Team member Arnold Messing (Brooklyn, N.Y.) took home the silver as Team USA’s only entry in the veteran men’s +60 epee competition. Messing went undefeated in the pools and won his semifinal bout over Eric Cintron (CRC), 10-3. In the final, Daniel Feraud (ARG) defeated the American, 10-8.

Seeded fourth in the veteran men’s 50-59 saber event, Robert Sweeney (Sewanee, Tenn.) advanced directly to the semifinals, but finished with a bronze after a 10-6 loss to Mario Redonet (CRC).

The youth competition featured events for athletes ages 13 and under and 10 and under.

In the Y13 men’s epee competition, Jose Cortes (Houston, Texas) defeated teammate Lawrence Tan (Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.), 10-8, to win gold.

Tan would follow his silver medal with a bronze in the Y13 men’s foil event. Team USA won three of the four medals in that competition as Kevin Lu (San Francisco, Calif.) won silver and Marcello Olivares (Cooper City, Fla.) claimed the other bronze.

Kamar Skeete (Duluth, Ga.), the only U.S. saber fencer in the tournament, won gold in the Y13 event. Seeded first out of the pools, Skeete outscored his first three opponents by a total of 30-4. In the gold medal final, Colombian Camilo Mosquera kept the bout close, but Skeete took the win, 10-9.  

Both of Team USA’s entrants in the Y10 events advanced to the final bouts.

Lucas Lutar (Brewster, N.Y.) came out of the Y10 men’s foil pools as the second seed and shut out Lucas Fonseca (BRA), 10-0, in the quarter-finals. After a 8-2 win over Rodrigo Ramos (CRC) in the semifinals, Lutar defeated Ricardo Pacheco (BRA), 8-1, to earn the gold medal.

The second seed in the Y10 men’s epee competition, Mark Dolgonos (Brooklyn, N.Y.) earned a bye into the semifinals where he defeated Sierra Santiago (CRC), 8-7. Dologonos lost his final bout to Pacheco, but took home his first international medal with a silver.

For complete results, visit http://esgrimacostarica.net/panamericano/resultados.html.

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

Veteran Men’s 50-59 Epee
1. Daniel Feraud (ARG)
2. Sergio Vergara (CHI)
3. Anibal Calcagno (URU)
3. Eric Cintron (CRC)
5. Carlos Godoy (CRc0
6. Raul Aldana (VEN)
7. Mario Redonet (CRC)
8. Fernando Mello (BRA)

Veteran Women's 50-59 Epee
1. Marianne Bosco (Harvest, Ala.)
2. Guiselle Chacon 
3. Milvia Cornacchia (CRC)
3. Zulma Torres De Melo (VEN)
5. Gladys Berardi (Long Valley, N.J.)

Veteran Men’s 50-59 Foil
1. Ed Kaihatsu (Skokie, Ill.)
2. Jamie Douraghy (Los Angeles, Calif.)
3. Raul Aldana (VEN)
3. Philippe Bennett (New York City, N.Y.)
5. Antonio Gomez (VEN)
6. Steve Gross (Fairfax, Va.)
7. Anibal Calcagno (URU)
8. Ronald Daugherty (Saint Louis, Mo.)

Veteran Men's +60 Foil
1. Alan Buchwald (Big Sur, Calif.)
2. Carlos Pellejero (URU)
3. Gaby Weisz (CAN)
3. Hernan Zamora (CRC)
5. Austin Thomas (ARU)

Veteran Women’s 50-59 Foil
1. Jennette Starks-Faulkner (Middletown, Conn.)
2. Anne-Marie Walters (Parkland, Fla.)
3. Ursula Szpak (Trophy Club, Texas)
3. Lynette Whitt (Owings, Md.)
5. Zulma Torres De Melo (VEN)
6. Esperanza Alzona (Frederick, Md.)
7. MIlvia Cornacchia (CRC)
8. Gladys Berardi (Long Valley, N.J.)

Veteran Men’s 50-59 Saber
1. Alfredo Avalles (VEN)
2. Mario Redonet (CRC)
3. Santiago Ortega (VEN)
3. Robert Sweeney (Sewanee, Tenn.)

Veteran Men’s +60 Epee
1. Daniel Feraud (ARG)
2. Arnold Messing (Brooklyn, N.Y.)
3. Eric Cintron (CRC)
3. Carlos Pellejero (URU)
5. Luis Cruz (CRC)
6. Austin Thomas (ARU)

Men’s Y13 Epee
1. Jose Cortes (Houston, Texas)
2. Lawrence Tan (Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.)
3. Guilherme Balloni (BRA)
3. Kevin Lopez (NCA)
5. Pedro De Jesus Trejos (NCA)
6. Eduardo Estrada (GUA)
7. Adonis Espinoza (NCA)
8. Matias Quiros (CRC)

Women’s Y13 Epee
1. Valentina Olivera (URU)
2. Kessly Flores (NCA)
3. Ethel Garcia (NCA)
3. Athina Gonzalez-Ciavarella (ARG)
5. Libny Fernandez (GUA)
6. Ana Catherina Joaquim (BRA)
7. Karina Dyner (CRC)
8. Luisa Santa Maria (GUA)

Men’s Y13 Foil
1. Vicente Otayza (CHI)
2. Kevin Lu (San Francisco, Calif.)
3. Marcello Olivares (Cooper City, Fla.)
3. Lawrence Tan (Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.)
5. Angel Rivera (GUA)
6. Lucas Lutar (Brewster, N.Y.)
7. Kevin Lopez (NCA)
8. Jose Cortes (Houston, Texas)

Women’s Y13 Foil
1. Valentina Olivera (URU)
2. Belmarie Nieves (PUR)
3. Ethel Garcia (NCA)
3. Athina Gonzales (ARG)
5. Luisa Saucedo (GUA)
6. Kessly Flores (NCA)
7. Maite Cintron (CRC)
8. Gabriela Padua (PUR)

Men’s Y13 Saber
1. Kamar Skeete (Duluth, Ga.)
2. Camilo Mosquera (COL)
3. Oscar Anaya (ESA)
3. Jose Espinoza (NCA)
5. Joan Gonzalez (GUA)
6. Kyle Hernandez (PUR)
7. Celso Espinoza (NCA)
8. Adrian Crespo (CRC)

Women’s Y13 Saber
1. Fraatz Kreestel (GUA)
2. Ehtel Garcia (NCA)
3. Gabriella Mendieta (NCA)
3. Ma Beatriz Redonet (CRC)
5. Pietra Chierighini (BRA)
6. Luna Aguila (CRC)
7. Ashley Jimenez (CRC)

Men’s Y10 Epee
1. Ricardo Pacheco (BRA)
2. Mark Dolgonos (Brooklyn, N.Y.)
3. Rodrigo Ramos (CRC)
3. Santiago Sierra (CRC)
5. Lorenzo Chierighini (BRA)
6. Santiago Labera (CRC)
7. Lucas Lutar (Brewster, N.Y.)

Women’s Y10 Epee
1. Luisa Santamaria (GUA)
2. Luna Aguilar (CRC)
3. Ashley Jimenez (CRC)
3. Abigail Rodriguez (CRC)
5. Kiara Aguilar (CRC)
6. Angie Mejia (HON)
7. Maripaz Renfijo (CRC)
8. Paz Aguilar (CRC)

Men’s Y10 Foil
1. Lucas Lutar (Brewster, N.Y.)
2. Ricard Pacheco (BRA)
3. Rodrigos Ramos (CrC)
3. Santiago Sierra (CRC)
5. Pedro Fonseca (BRA)
6. Lorenzo Chierighini (BRA)
7. Lucas Fonseca (BRA)
8. Diego Cordero (CRC)

Women’s Y10 Foil
1. Pietra Chierighini (BRA)
2. Luisa Santamaria (GUA)
3. Luna Aguilar (CRC)
3. Ashley Jimenez (CRC)
5. Kiara Aguilar (CRC)
6. Abigail Rodriguez (CRC)
7. Fernandez Paz (CRC)

Women’s Y10 Saber
1. Pietra Chierighini (BRA)
2. Luna Mia Aguilar (CRC)
3. Luisa Santa Maria (GUA)
4. Ashley Jimenez (CRC)