USA Fencing

(Colorado Springs, Colo.) – The U.S. delegation finished the Pan American Youth and Veteran Championships with 14 additional medals on Sunday in St. Cruz, Aruba for a total of 68 medals over the five-day tournament.

Veteran World Team members Joseph Streb (Columbus, Ohio) and Linda Dunn (Greenfield, Ind.) each claimed a second gold medal of the tournament.

A two-time Veteran World medalist, Streb won the Veteran 2 (+60) saber title on Thursday and added another gold in Veteran 2 foil on Sunday. Team USA swept the podium as two-time Veteran World Team member Philippe Bennett (New York, N.Y.) won silver and William Gelnaw (Fullerton, Calif.) and Alan Buchwald (Aptos, Calif.) each took bronze. Gelnaw’s third place result was his third bronze of the week after he reached the podium in both the Veteran 2 epee and saber events.  

Dunn, who fenced up to win gold as a Veteran 1 (50-59) saber fencer on Friday, also took the Veteran 2 saber title. Debra Allen (Ashland, Ore.) won silver as her third medal in Aruba after a taking gold in Veteran 2 women’s epee and silver in Veteran 2 foil. Karen Brynildsen (Denville, N.J.) won bronze to round out Team USA’s 1-2-3 finish.

Team USA also won three medals in the Veteran 1 men’s epee competition where Edwin Bundy (Reston, Va.) won gold and the duo of Dale Karolak (Brighton, Mich.) and Carl Loeffler (Santa Monica, Calif.) secured a pair of bronzes.  

In the Veteran 1 women’s epee competition, Sally Simon (Fishkill, N.Y.) advanced to the finals and secured a silver medal. Gladys Berardi (Long Valley, N.J.) added a bronze to her previous two medals of the tournament – a pair of saber medals with a gold in Pre-Veteran and a bronze in Veteran 2. Michelle Verhave (Purdys, N.Y.), who is known most as a foil specialist, won bronze in the epee event to go with her bronze in Veteran 1 foil.

Roderick Atwood (Killingworth, Conn.) added a gold medal on the youth side after he won the Youth A (8-10) men’s foil event.