USA Fencing

(Colorado Springs, Colo.) – Six athletes have been selected to represent the U.S. Fencing Team at the Pan American Sports Festival in Mexico City beginning on Thursday.

The Festival began in July and runs through Sept. 30 with the fencing competition taking place from Sept. 11-14. More than 3,000 athletes from 20 sports are competing in cities throughout Mexico.

Team USA will be led by Sage Palmedo (Portland, Ore.), a three-time Junior World medalist in saber and a 2013 Junior World Team Champion. Now ranked No. 1 in the world as a junior, Palmedo earned her first top-16 finish on the Senior World Cup circuit last season.

A member of the 2014 Pan American Junior Team, foil fencer Anastasiya Muravyeva (Fair Lawn, N.J.) will be making her debut in a senior international event at this tournament.

Women’s epee fencer Cassandra Bates (Colorado Springs, Colo.) had a career-best top-eight finish at the November North American Cup last year in the Division I event. The Olympic Training Center resident athlete represented Team USA on the World Cup circuit last season and will be using this event as a tune-up for the fall circuit.

On the men’s side, Bryce Bogert (Saint Augustine, Fla.) is Team USA’s youngest fencer at just 15-years-old, but Bogert represented the United States internationally on the Cadet European Circuit earlier this year.

A former fencer on the junior international circuit, this will be the first major senior international event for saber fencer Chris Cheney (Franklin, Tenn.)

Cadet foil fencer William Gaziano (Basking Ridge, N.J.) will be making his international debut in Mexico.

Team USA will be coached by Peter Burchard (Bodega Bay, Calif.) A former World Team member himself, Burchard has served as both a former National Team Coach and Captain.

The competition schedule is as follows:

Thursday, Sept. 11
Men’s Saber
Women’s Foil

Friday, Sept. 12
Men’s Epee
Women’s Saber

Saturday, Sept. 13
Men’s Foil
Women’s Epee

Sunday, Sept. 14
Team Competition