USA Fencing

(Colorado Springs, Colo.) – The 2013-14 international season began over the weekend with Team USA claiming three medals at the Konin Cadet Saber European Cup in Poland.

Sixteen-year-olds Karol Metryka (Linden, N.J.) and Benjamin Natanzon (Manalapan, N.J.) won their first career international medals in the men’s individual event where Metryka took silver and Natanzon won bronze on Saturday.

The United States was the only nation to have three fencers advance to the quarter-finals, but a three-medal finish became impossible when Natanzon drew his teammate, 16-year-old Royce Wang (San Jose, Calif.), in the quarters.

Natanzon defeated Wang, 15-12, and Metryka won his bout over Istvan Dobo (HUN), 15-13.

Metryka and Natanzon went on to fence each other in the semis where Metryka took the victory, 15-11.

In the final bout, Metryka lost to Russian Konstantin Lokhanov, 15-9.

Following his silver medal finish at his first Cadet European Cup appearance, Metryka moved up to #6 in the Cadet European Rankings where he is now the top-ranked American and Natanzon jumped up to a #10 ranking 

In the women’s event, two U.S. fencers advanced to the quarter-finals.

Sixteen-year-old Tara Hassett (Beaverton, Ore.) finished sixth after a 15-6 loss to eventual champion Svetlana Sheveleva (RUS).

Fifteen-year-old Marta Lasota (Silver Spring, Md.) lost a close bout, 15-12, to Anna Solovieva (RUS) who went on to win the silver medal.

Lasota and Hassett would get another chance at a medal on Sunday when they fenced with 14-year-olds Mary Barnett (Lake Oswego, Ore.) and Lauren Kim (Plano, Texas) in the team competition.

Team USA advanced through the 11-team field to the quarter-finals where the Americans defeated a Polish team – UKS 13 Bialystok – by a score of 45-33.

In the semifinals, Russia Novosibirsk I defeated the Americans, 45-39.

Team USA came back to take bronze with a 45-29 win over Poland I.

Click here to view complete results.

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

Men’s Individual Cadet Saber European Cup
1. Konstantin Kokhanov (RUS)
2. Karol Metryka (Linden, N.J.)
3. Mateusz Godlewski (POL)
3. Benjamin Natanzon (Manalapan, N.J.)
5. Adrian Dzwoniarski (POL)
6. Botond Darko (HUN)
7. Istvan Dobo (HUN)
8. Royce Wang (San Jose, Calif.)

11. Gavin Turner (Rehoboth, Mass.)
13. Connor Ritchey (Wheat Ridge, Colo.)
15. Andrew Doddo (South Orange, N.J.)
16. Khalil Thompson (Teaneck, N.J.)
21. Calvin Liang (Phoenix, Ariz.)
34. Jonah Buchwald (San Carlos, Calif.)
35. Philippe Guy (San Diego, Calif.)
36. Jacob Asch (Alexandria, Va.)
40. Alex Walker (Atlanta, Ga.)
45. Julian Merchant (New Rochelle, N.Y.)
48. Connor Mills (Medford, N.J.)
49. Samuel Kwong (Los Altos Hills, Calif.)
50. Dawson Sieradzky (Wayne, N.J.)
57. Mitchell So (Dallas, Texas)
61. Mikolaj Bak (Linden, N.J.)
64. David Timofeyev (Antelope, Calif.)
67. Andrew Sun (Alpharetta, Ga.)

Women’s Individual Cadet European Saber Cup
1. Svetlana Sheveleva (RUS)
2. Anna Solovieva (RUS)
3. Regina Onufrieva (RUS)
3. Kristina Ten (RUS)
5. Evgenia Podpaskova (RUS)
6. Tara Hassett (Beaverton, Ore.)
7. Ksenia Bodrova (RUS)
8. Marta Lasota (Silver Spring, Md.)

10. Sarah Merza (Wayne, N.J.)
12. Maia Chamberlain (Menlo Park, Calif.)
19. Regina O’Brien (Wellesley Hills, Mass.)
20. Carly Weber-Levine (Old Field, N.Y.)
21. Gabrielle Tartakovsky (Livingston, N.J.)
26. Mary Barnett (Lake Oswego, Ore.)
27. Riya Dave (Ardsley, N.Y.)
29. Elizabeth Tartakovsky (Livingston, N.J.)
30. Lillian Chu (Saratoga, Calif.)
31. Violet Michel (Cambridge, Mass.)
39. Rose Adams (Sacramento, Calif.)
40. Edith Johnson (Peachtree City, Ga.)
43. Lauren Kim (Plano, Texas)
51. Kara Linder (Chandler, Ariz.)
52. Sara Cunningham (Decatur, Ga.)
66. Ilana Solomon (Setauket, N.Y.)
82. Madeline Curzon (Wilsonville, Ore.)

Men’s Team Cadet European Saber Cup
1. Russia I
2. Russia SPB
3. Ukraine I
4. Polish I
5. Russia Novosibirsk
6. Belarus II
7. Poland II
8. KKSZ Konin

Women’s Team Cadet European Saber Cup
1. Russia
2. Russia Novosibirk I
3. USA
4. Poland I
5. Russia Siberia
6. Poland II
7. UKS 13 Biaystok
8. Belarus