USA Fencing

(Colorado Springs, Colo.) – A pair of 2014 Veteran World Team members led Team USA to podium sweeps in the Veteran 1 (50-59) women’s saber and Veteran 2 (+60) men’s epee events on Friday at the Pan American Youth and Veteran Championships in St. Cruz, Aruba.

Linda Dunn (Greenfield, Ind.), a silver medalist at the 2012 Veteran World Championships, defeated her 2014 Veteran World teammate Robin Pernice (Carlisle, Mass.) in the gold medal final of the Veteran 1 women’s saber event. Cathleen Randall (Watertown, Mass.) and Gladys Berardi (Long Valley, N.J.) won bronze.

Four-time Veteran World Team member Chuck Alexander (Escondido, Calif.) fenced one of his former teammates in the Veteran 2 men’s epee gold medal final and won his bout against five-time Veteran World Team member Arnold Messing (Brooklyn, N.Y.) William Gelnaw (Fullerton, Calif.) claimed his second bronze of the weekend after placing third in his saber event on Thursday. Former Veteran World Champion Kazimieras Campe (Edgewater, Md.) won the event’s second bronze medal.

"I would like to dedicate today's win to two people, great fencers and coaches, that have recently past away. Today's medal is dedicated in loving memory to Mary Annavedder and Amy Fortune. Both fierce competitors, great coaches, and very special people," Alexander said. 

After winning a Veteran 2 women’s foil silver medal on Wednesday, Debra Allen (Ashland, Ore.) earned her first Pan Am title as a Veteran 2 women's epee fencer after she defeated 2010 Veteran World medalist Marianne Bosco (Harvest, Ala.) in the final bout.

Julio Diaz (Lilburn, Ga.), a member of the 2014 Veteran World Team, won Team USA’s fourth veteran title of the day with a gold medal in the Veteran 1 men’s foil event. Stephen Gross (Fairfax, Va.) took bronze.

In the youth events, May Tieu (Belle Mead, N.J.) won gold and Sarah Prilutsky (Princeton, N.J.) finished with bronze in the Youth B (11-13) women’s foil competition.

Competition continues on Saturday with the schedule as follows:

9 a.m.
Youth A Women’s Epee
Youth B Men’s Saaber

11 a.m.
Pre-Veteran Men’s Epee
Pre-Veteran Women’s Saber

1 p.m.
Youth A Women’s Saber
Youth B Men’s Foil