USA Fencing

(Colorado Springs, Colo.) – Amanda Sirico (Bowie, Md.) returned to the Junior World Cup circuit for the first time in nearly a year and took bronze in Dijon, France on Sunday.

Sirico, who is attempting to qualify for both the Junior and Senior World Championship teams in 2014, was seeded ninth out of the pools and took a 15-10 win over Shiori Komata (JPN) after a bye into the table of 64.

Sirico advanced to the quarter-finals after victories over Lorenza Baroli (ITA), 15-11, in the table of 32 and Carmel Tulen (NED), 15-6, in the table of 16.

Anna Van Brummen (Houston, Texas), a Princeton sophomore and 2012 Junior World Team bronze medalist, also advanced to the quarters. The top-ranked junior in the United States, Van Brummen edged Sara De Alti (ITA), 15-14, in the table of 64 and took a 10-touch victory over Ingrid Ursulet (FRA) in the 32.

Van Brummen held on for a 15-14 win in her table of 16 bout against Nadine Stahlberg (GER), but finished in sixth place after a 15-13 loss to Alberta Santuccio (ITA) – the No. 2 junior women’s epee fencer in the world who went on to win her second Junior World Cup title of the season.

Sirico won her quarter-final bout against Alice Clerici (ITA), but lost to Amelie Awong (FRA) in the semifinals.

Sirico’s podium finish marks the second time the 17-year-old has medaled at a Junior World Cup after winning silver in Gothenburg, Sweden in February.

Click here to view complete results.

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

Dijon Epee Junior World Cup
1. Alberta Santuccio (ITA)
2. Amelie Awong (FRA)
3. Vanessa Riedmueller (GER)
3. Amanda Sirico (Bowie, Md.)
5. Paula Schmidl (AUT)
6. Anna Van Brummen (Houston, Texas)
7. Alice Clerici (ITA)
8. Coraline Vitalis (FRA)

15. Giana Vierheller (Houston, Texas)
18. Audrey Yun (Los Angeles, Calif.)
25. Madeline Antekeier (Houston, Texas)
26. Belinda Mo (Irvine, Calif.)
27. Nina Van Loon (Boulder, Colo.)
36. Safaa Ibrahim (Bronx, N.Y.)
42. Jessica O’Neill-Lyublinsky (North Salem, N.Y.)
49. Mason Speta (Chicago, Ill.)
93. Audrey Abend (New York City, N.Y.)
99. Claire Dinhut (Los Angeles, Calif.)