USA Fencing

(Colorado Springs, Colo.) – More than 2,000 fencers will travel to Richmond, Va. to compete in an Olympic qualifying tournament – the October North American Cup – from Oct. 9-12.

The four-day tournament will be held at the Greater Richmond Convention Center, 403 N. 3rd St., in Halls A-D.

All events are free and the public is encouraged to come watch 2012 Olympians and 2016 hopefuls in action.

The October North American Cup features events in all three weapons – epee, foil and saber – and multiple categories, including Division I, Division II, cadet and wheelchair events.

Athletes fencing in the Division I men’s and women’s epee and men’s foil events will be eligible to earn national ranking points which count towards qualification for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

The Division I field is scheduled to include four members of the 2012 Olympic Team and 14 members of the 2015 Senior World Team:

• Kelley Hurley (San Antonio, Texas / Women’s Epee), two-time Olympian and 2012 Olympic team bronze medalist
• Courtney Hurley (San Antonio, Texas / Women’s Epee), 2012 Olympic team bronze medalist
• Gerek Meinhardt (San Francisco, Calif. / Men’s Foil), two-time Olympian and three-time Senior World medalist
• Nicole Ross (New York City, N.Y. / Women’s Foil), 2012 Olympian and five-time Senior World Team member
• Ben Bratton (New York City, N.Y. / Men’s Epee), 2012 Senior World Team Champion 
• Margaret Lu (Greenwich, Conn. / Women’s Foil), three-time Senior World Team member and 2014 Junior World Team Champion
• Katharine Holmes (Washington, D.C. / Women’s Epee), three-time Senior World Team member and two-time Junior World team medalist
• Jason Pryor (Colorado Springs, Colo. / Men’s Epee), three-time Senior World Team member  
• Sabrina Massialas (San Francisco, Calif. / Women’s Foil), two-time Senior World Team member and 2014 Youth Olympic Champion
• Anna van Brummen (Houston, Texas / Women’s Epee), two-time Senior World Team member and two-time Junior World medalist
• Jimmy Moody (Colorado Springs, Colo. / Men’s Epee), two-time Senior World Team member
• Ari Simmons (Bellaire, Texas / Men’s Epee), 2015 Senior World Team member and 2013 Cadet World Champion
• Yeisser Ramirez (Brooklyn, N.Y. / Men’s Epee), 2015 Senior World Team member
• Katarzyna Trzopek (Pacifica, Calif. / Women’s Epee), 2015 Senior World Team member

In addition, nearly 100 athletes from throughout Virginia will compete in their home state. Sixteen-year-old Stefani Deschner (Mechanicsville, Va.) is one of the state’s best hopes for a gold medal finish this weekend as the two-time Cadet World Team member is ranked No. 2 in the U.S. women’s foil standings as a cadet fencer and also will be fencing in the Division I event. Eighteen-year-old Jacob Asch (Alexandria, Va.), a top-eight finisher at the 2015 NAC in the Division I men’s saber event, will come into this year’s competition as the No. 2 seed in the field and will seek his first NAC medal in Richmond.

Click here to view the complete list of competitors.

Competition schedule is as follows with all events running through completion of the medal rounds (Note: all times listed are approximate start times, not check-in times):

Friday, October 9
8:30 a.m.
Cadet Men’s Epee
Cadet Women’s Foil

9:30 a.m.
Wheelchair Men’s Epee

1:30 p.m.
Wheelchair Women’s Epee

2:30 p.m.
Division I Men’s Saber
Division II Men’s Foil
Senior Team Women’s Epee

Saturday, October 10
8:30 a.m.
Division I Women’s Epee
Division I Men’s Foil
Division II Men’s Saber

9:30 a.m.
Wheelchair Men’s Foil

1:30 p.m.
Wheelchair Women’s Foil

2:30 p.m.
Senior Team Men’s Epee

4 p.m.
Division II Women’s Foil

5:30 p.m.
Cadet Women’s Saber

Sunday, October 11
8:30 a.m.
Division I Women’s Foil
Division I Men’s Epee
Cadet Men’s Saber

9:30 a.m.
Wheelchair Men’s Saber

1:30 p.m.
Senior Team Men’s Foil
Wheelchair Women’s Saber

4 p.m.
Division II Women’s Epee

5:30 p.m.
Division II Women’s Saber

Monday, Oct. 12
8:30 a.m.
Cadet Men’s Foil
Cadet Women’s Epee

11:30 a.m.
Division I Women’s Saber

2 p.m.
Division II Men’s Epee

2:30 p.m.
Senior Team Men’s Saber
Senior Team Women’s Foil