USA Fencing

(Colorado Springs, Colo.) – The U.S. Women’s Epee Team placed seventh at the Xuzhou World Cup in China on Sunday.

After a bye into the table of 16, Team USA fenced Korea, the 2012 Olympic team silver medalists, and won the overtime match, 20-19.

The team of Courtney Hurley (San Antonio, Texas), Kelley Hurley (San Antonio, Texas), Katharine Holmes (Washington, D.C.) and Anna Van Brummen (Houston, Texas) took on Russia in the quarter-finals. As anchor, Hurley started her bout against Gudkova with a 10-touch deficit and scored seven early, but didn't have enough time to close the gap and Team USA lost the bout, 31-26. 

Team USA lost its next bout to Hungary, 45-33, but rebounded for a seventh place finish after a overtime 43-42 upset of Estonia, the reigning Senior World silver medalists.

In the individual competition on Saturday, Holmes, a two-time Senior World Team member, earned her first top-16 finish on the World Cup circuit.

Holmes finished first in the rankings out of the pool rounds with a 6-0 result and the 17th seed in the direct elimination tables.

She defeated 2014 Asian Championships bronze medalist Ayaka Shimookawa (JPN), 15-9, in the table of 64 and 2013 Asian Champion Anqi Xu (CHN), 15-10, in the 32.

Holmes lost her next bout to two-time Olympic Team Champion Tatiana Logunova (RUS) in the table of 16, 15-8, and finished 10th overall.

Four of Holmes’ teammates advanced to the table of 64.

London Olympic team bronze medalist Courtney Hurley lost to Shuwei Ai (CHN), 15-13.

Fencing in her second full season on the international circuit, Victoria Mo (Irvine, Calif.) earned her first top-64 finish after a 15-10 loss to two-time Senior World medalist Irina Embrich (EST).

Natalie Vie (Phoenix, Ariz.) qualified for the table of 64 at her second straight event, but lost to Monika Sozanska (GER), 15-10.

Hurley’s older sister and London teammate, Kelley Hurley, missed advancing by two touches with a 15-13 loss to Mara Navarria (ITA).

Click here to view complete team results.

Click here to view complete individual results.

Top eight and U.S. results are as follows, including athletes who placed outside the top 64 on Friday:

Xuzhou Individual Epee World Cup
1. Emese Szasz (HUN)
2. Ana Maria Branza (ROU)
3. Tatiana Logunova (RUS)
3. Yana Shemyakina (UKR)
5. Yujie Sun (CHN)
6. Man Wai Kong (HKG)
7. Tatiana Gudkova (RUS)
8. Anna Sivkova (RUS)

10. Katharine Holmes (Washington, D.C.)
35. Courtney Hurley (San Antonio, Texas)
46. Natalie Vie (Phoenix, Ariz.)
49. Kelley Hurley (San Antonio, Texas)
56. Victoria Mo (Irvine, Calif.)
83. Anna Van Brummen (Houston, Texas)
93. Jasmine McGlade (Colorado Springs, Colo.)
106. Courtney Dumas (Shaker Heights, Ohio)
107. Dina Bazarbayeva (Houston, Texas)
135. Madeline Antekeier (Houston, Texas)
143. Lydia Kopecky (New York City, N.Y.)
144. Isabel Ford (Salem, Ore.)

Xuzhou Team Epee World Cup
1. China
2. Italy
3. Sweden
4. Russia
5. Hungary
6. Germany
7. USA
8. Estonia