USA Fencing

(Colorado Springs, Colo.) – Two-time Senior World Team member Katharine Holmes (Washington, D.C.) and Isabel Ford (Salem, Ore.) each placed in the top 32 at the Buenos Aires Epee World Cup in Argentina on Saturday.

After finishing 5-1 in the pools on Friday, Holmes fenced 2007 Junior World Champion Emma Samuelsson (SWE) in the table of 64 and trailed her opponent by two late in the final period, but tied the bout at 14 to force an overtime period. Holmes scored first in the sudden death period and won the bout, 15-14.

In the table of 32, Holmes fenced Britta Heidemann (GER), but lost to the 2012 Olympic silver medalist, 15-10, and finished 24th overall.

Ford went 4-1 in the pool rounds and qualified for the 64 with a 15-10 win against Shuwei AI (CHN). 

Ford defeated Vanessa Galantine (FRA), 15-13, in the table of 64 and lost to three-time Senior World team medalist Bianca Del Carretto (ITA), 15-8, in the 32 and finished 28th. Ford’s result was her best finish during her first year on the senior circuit.

London Olympic team bronze medalists Courtney Hurley (San Antonio, Texas) and Kelley Hurley (San Antonio, Texas) each advanced to the table of 64.

Exempt from the pools due to her top-16 world ranking, Courtney Hurley lost to London Olympian Tiffany Geroudet (SUI), 15-8, and finished 35th.

Kelley Hurley won two preliminary bouts to qualify for the table of 64. After a 15-7 win over Cheuk Suen Circle Ho (HKG), Kelley beat Melissa Goram (FRA), 10-9, in overtime on Friday. On Saturday, Kelley fenced a close bout against 2012 Olympic Champion Yana Shemyakina (UKR), but finished 61st after a 15-11 loss.

Holmes fenced in the team event with the Hurleys and 2014 Senior World Team member Anna Van Brummen (Houston, Texas).

Team USA lost to Germany, 40-39, in the table of 16 and dropped the first match of the 9th – 16th place table, 27-20, to China.

The Americans won their next match, 45-35, over Brazil to advance to the match for 13th place. Although Team USA trailed Switzerland by 10 touches after eight bouts, Courtney Hurley made up the gap in the anchor bout to tie the match at 38 and sent gave Team USA the win, 39-38 in overtime.

Click here to view complete individual results.

Click here to view complete team results.

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

Buenos Aires Individual Epee World Cup
1. Sarra Besbes (TUN)
2. Erika Kirpu (EST)
3. Britta Heidemann (GER)
3. A Lam Shin (KOR)
5. Ana Maria Branza (ROU)
6. Irina Embrich (GER)
7. Ayaka Shimookawa (JPN)
8. Olga Kochneva (RUS)

24. Kat Holmes (Washington, D.C.)
28. Isabel Ford (Salem, Ore.)
35. Courtney Hurley (San Antonio, Texas)
61. Kelley Hurley (San Antonio, Texas)
65. Anna Van Brummen (Houston, Texas)
88. Danielle Henderson (Piscataway, N.J.)
96. Francesca Bassa (Houston, Texas)
99. Lindsay Campbell (Brooklyn, N.Y.)
100. Courtney Dumas (Shaker Heights, Ohio)
102. Natalie Vie (Phoenix, Ariz.)
103. Maria Alejandra Trumble (Cambridge, Mass.)
124. Nina Van Loon (Boulder, Colo.)

Buenos Aires Team Epee World Cup
1. Italy
2. Romania
3. Germany
4. Russia
5. Estonia
6. Poland
7. Korea
8. France

13. USA