USA Fencing

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — Noah Silvers (University Of Notre Dame & Windy City Fencing-Chicago) had won NACs before but not in Division I — the highest level of fencing.

He did just that on Saturday, Day 3 of the April North American Cup, Division I National Championships and Parafencing National Championships, earning a national championship in Division I Men’s Epee.

“It's kind of mind blowing,” he says. “I don't think it's really sunk in yet. I’m almost speechless, but very, very happy.”

Unlike in a Junior event, where the age range is fairly narrow, Division I events — and especially Division I Men’s Epee — attract fencers of all ages.

Sure enough, in the quarterfinals the 20-year-old Silvers fenced against Adam Maczik, a 42-year-old fencer from Marx Fencing Academy. (Two days earlier, Maczik claimed gold in Vet 40 Men’s Epee.) 

In the semifinals, Silvers had to defeat Nicholas Lawson of the Fencers Club, who is nearly a foot taller than Silvers.

And then in the final, Silvers competed against the 15-year-old Nathaniel Wimmer of Elite Fencing Academy.

In each bout, he had to tailor his style to match the opponent. 

“I'm adjusting pretty much at every single bout,” Silvers says. “I usually try to use the first minute to feel it out, see what's happening. And then from there, I build on everything that I've seen.”

Speaking of building, Silver has built on his ninth-place finish at the Junior & Cadet Fencing World Championships, continuing what has been an impressive run of success. But he doesn’t give himself all the credit.

“I'm very appreciative of everybody that pulls strings behind the scenes,” he says. “There are so many things that couldn't happen without a bunch of people that are making it possible.” 

That spirit of gratefulness extended into the Division I Men’s Foil team event as well, where the New York Athletic Club quartet of James Bourtis, Raymond Chen, Samarth Kumbla and Sidarth Kumbla made the NYAC a repeat champion in the event.

“It's a testament to what we're building at NYAC,” he says. “It's a testament to what Michael Aufrichtig has done. We’re really thankful to the New York Athletic Club, to everything Michael's done, and the fact that we're not just fencing in New York, but we're really building a culture of fencing.”

A culture of fencing is what Women’s Epee National Coach Natalie Dostert is building for Team USA. That’s why she wanted the trio of Anne Cebula, Margherita Guzzi Vincenti and Hadley Husisian to fence in the Division I Women’s Epee team event. Before the April NAC, all three had locked in their spot at the Olympic Games Paris 2024, so Dostert wanted them to gain important practice fencing together as a team.

“We all know each other very well,” Guzzi Vincenti says. “And definitely we trust each other. That was the key element for today — knowing that whatever situation you're in, you can count on your teammates. That's exactly what happened today, no matter what. If we were up or down, we all worked, and we all pulled and then at the end, we came out victorious.”

In the Division I Women’s Saber team event, another trio took home the top prize. Jadeyn Williams, Chelsea Delsoin and Veronica Mika of the Advance Fencing & Fitness Academy earned the national championship, with Mika emphasizing the team’s ability to work together and motivate each other.

“I'm really proud of how this team worked together, how we all kind of hyped each other up and pushed each other so we could be the best that we possibly could,” she says. “And I think that's ultimately what led us to win today.”

The Parafencing National Championship saw a repeat of Friday's results, with Jataya Taylor (Denver Fencing Center & Invictus Fencing) and Garrett Schoonover (Salt City Swords Fencing Club) winning a national championship in foil a day after doing the same in epee.

“I tend to be a more muscle-based fencer,” Taylor says. “I'm trying to learn the finesse. So that was the main goal —  to stay calm and don't try to muscle it. They've been trying to teach me, and I finally listened. And I won. I can't argue with them anymore.”

Schoonover, meanwhile, talked about his effort to train for the quick decision-making required in fencing — especially parafencing, where you’re always within striking distance of your opponent.

“If I can see in their eyes that they are still thinking about what they want to do, I'll just throw that quick one out there,” Schoonover says. “Because if it works, it’s a free point. If not, it still freaks them out.”

Division I Men’s Epee

Gold and 2024 National Champion: Noah Silvers (University Of Notre Dame & Windy City Fencing-Chicago)

Silver: Nathaniel Wimmer (Elite Fencing Academy)

Bronze: Alexander Bezrodnov (Medeo Fencing Club)

Bronze: Nicholas Lawson (Fencers Club Inc. & Princeton University)

5th: Miles Weiss (Alliance Fencing Academy & The Ohio State University)

6th: James Kaull (New York Athletic Club)

7th: Adam Maczik (Marx Fencing Academy)

8th: Gary North (Penta Olympic Fencing Club)

Division I Women’s Saber Team

Gold and 2024 National Champions: AFFA (Jadeyn Williams, Chelsea Delsoin, Veronica Mika)

Silver: BFC & FAW (Arya Chavan, Rainer Dragon, Nina Sayles, Maggie Shealy)

Bronze: Northwestern University (Adele Bois, Amy Lu, Megumi Oishi)

Division I Women’s Epee Team

Gold and 2024 National Champions: Team USA Blue (Anne Cebula, Margherita Guzzi Vincenti, Hadley Husisian)

Silver: Team USA - Red (Kat Holmes OLY, Kai Liu, Kasia Nixon, Isis Washington)

Bronze: Greeble Deeble & The Wizard Legion (Sophia Jakel, Jolie Korfonta, Katya Seregin, Sierra Springer)

Division I Men’s Foil Team

Gold and 2024 National Champions: NYAC-KBI (James Bourtis, Raymond Chen, Samarth Kumbla, Sidarth Kumbla)

Silver: NWFC (Gabriel Guerra, Eric Min, Gregory Mitberg, Marcus Strugar)

Bronze: GSFA (Ethan Gassner, John Griffin, William Kelly, Owen Lynch)

Parafencing Men’s Foil

Gold and 2024 National Champion: Garrett Schoonover (Salt City Swords Fencing Club)

Silver: Kevin Reeve (Kern Athletic Fencing Foundation)

Bronze: Abe Kaplan (Greensboro Fencing Academy & Invictus Fencing)

Bronze: Scott Rodgers PLY (Denver Fencing Center)

5th: Tim Kortenkamp (San Francisco Fencing Academy)

6th: Sam Long (Denver Fencing Center)

7th: Matthew Pevoto (North Texas)

7th: Timothy Birt (Shepherd Swords Fencing Club & Auburn Fencing Club)

Parafencing Women’s Foil

Gold and 2024 National Champion: Jataya Taylor (Denver Fencing Center & Invictus Fencing)

Silver: Shelby Mitchell PLY (Valkyrie Fencing Club)

Bronze: Julie Grant (Salle Auriol Seattle)

Bronze: Mama T Dykes (Orion Fencing & Zeljkovic Fencing Academy)

Junior Men’s Saber

Gold: Robert Wang (Tim Morehouse Fencing Club & Tim Morehouse Fencing Club (Port Chester))

Silver: Shaun Kim (Tim Morehouse Fencing Club)

Bronze: Silas Choi (Globus Fencing Academy)

Bronze: Wade Hjerpe (Phoenix Fencing Academy)

5th: Nicolas Wang (Fencing Academy Of Denver & Renaissance Fencing Club)

6th: Maximilian Denner (Scarsdale Fencing Center & Fencers Club Inc.)

7th: Ethan Huang (Lilov Fencing Academy)

8th: Daniel Lin (Premier Fencing Academy)

Vet 40 Men’s Foil

Gold: Stephen Jan (Metropolitan NYC)

Silver: Dong-Ying Pai (Twin Cities Fencing Club)

Bronze: Jason Brown (Ludus Fencing Studio)

Bronze: Zhiyong Zhao (Bluegrass Fencers' Club & Queen City Fencers Club LLC)

5th: Carlos Junco (Mexico)

6th: Lorenzo Gavilli (Canada)

6th: Michael Green (Brooklyn Bridge Fencing Club)

8th: Eli McGinty (Southwest Florida Fencing Academy & Bay Area Fencing Club)

Vet 50 Men’s Foil

Gold: Marek Wyszynski (Fencers Club Inc.)

Silver: Michael Cho (Renaissance Fencing Club)

Bronze: John Kissingford (Denver Fencing Center)

Bronze: Anatolie Senic (Renaissance Fencing Club)

5th: Frets Olivares (Fencers Club Inc.)

6th: Rafael Suarez (Masters Fencing Club)

7th: Roustam Pimoutkine (Fencers Club Inc.)

8th: Nathan Anderson (Denver Fencing Center & Denver Fencing Foundation)

Vet 60 Men’s Foil

Gold: Gary Hayenga (Plymouth/Ann Arbor Fencing Academy & Ann Arbor Dueling Society)

Silver: Eric Dew (Halberstadt Fencers' Club)

Bronze: Jerry LeBlanc (Elite Fencing Club)

Bronze: John Lawrence (Masters Fencing Academy NJ)

5th: William Cracraft (Halberstadt Fencers' Club)

6th: Henri Darricau (Denver Fencing Center)

7th: Chris Balestracci (Iconic Fencing Club)

8th Stephen Gross (Canada)

Vet 70 Men’s Foil

Gold: Tom Lutton (Denver Fencing Center)

Silver: Joseph Streb (Columbus International Fencing Academy & Royal Arts Fencing Academy)

Bronze: Malcolm (Werewolf) Patterson (Capitol)

Bronze: Joseph Biebel (AZ United Fencing Club)

5th: Philippe Bennett (Fencers Club Inc.)

6th: Tony Carter (Olympian Fencing Club)

7th: Richard Mayer (Gutkovskiy Fencing Academy)

8th: Michael Ress (Hudson Centers For The Martial Arts)

Vet 80 Men’s Foil

Gold: Davis Carvey (Rain City Fencing Center & Salle Auriol Seattle)

Silver: Donald Anderson (New Mexico Fencing Foundation)

Bronze: Ed Sady (Fencing Sports Academy, Inc.)

Bronze: Raul Acosta (Miami Lakes Fencing Club)

5th: Neil Weiss (Denver Fencing Center)

Vet 40 Women’s Epee

Gold: Rebecca Chimahusky (DC Fencers Club)

Silver: Caterina Rovati (Central Florida)

Bronze: Kristin Foellmer (DC Fencers Club)

Bronze: Kira Hansen (Academy Of Fencing Masters)

5th: Christina Kaneshige (Denver Fencing Center)

6th: Kundry Haberkern (Salle Auriol Seattle)

7th: Kelly Revak (Cabrillo Academy Of The Sword)

8th: Nicole Polanichka (Lancaster Fencing Academy & DC Fencers Club)

Vet 50 Women’s Epee

Gold: Sandra Marchant (Rogue Fencing Academy & The Phoenix Center)

Silver: Ann Totemeier (Northern Colorado Fencers & Denver Fencing Center)

Bronze: Toby Tolley (The Phoenix Center & Rogue Fencing Academy)

Bronze: Angelica Brisk (Olympia Fencing Center)

5th: Michele Chimienti (No Fear Fencing & Fortune Fencing)

6th: Monica Exum (Salle Auriol Seattle)

7th: Melanie Lloyd (Wasatch Fencing)

8th: Jeannine Prokop (Nova Fencing Club)

Vet 60 Women’s Epee

Gold: Valerie Asher (DC Fencers Club)

Silver: Lydia Fabry (Avant Garde Fencers Club & South Bay Fencing Academy)

Bronze: Georgina Love (Central Florida

Bronze: Louise Leighton (Escrime Du Lac)

5th: Cynthia Glover (Rain City Fencing Center)

6th: Caroline Rich (High Desert Fencing Alliance)

7th: Lyn Christian (Denver Fencing Center & Schoolhouse Fencing)

8th: Cristina Gordet (South Florida Fencing Club)

Vet 70 Women’s Epee

Gold: Liz Kocab (Plymouth/Ann Arbor Fencing Academy)

Silver: Cathy Kelley (Olympian Fencing Club)

Bronze: Lori Radich (Hangtown Saber Club & The Fencing Center)

Bronze: Anna Telles (Salle Auriol Seattle)

5th: Cynthia Runyon (High Desert Fencing Alliance)

6th: Charlotta Bowie (Modern Duelists Fencing Academy)

7th: Patricia Lutton (Denver Fencing Center)

8th: Patricia Bedrosian (Salle Couturier)

Vet 80 Women’s Epee

Gold: Patricia Bedrosian (Salle Couturier)

Silver: Bettie Graham (Chevy Chase Fencing Club)

Bronze: Mary Turzillo (Northern Ohio)

Vet Combined Men’s Saber

Gold: Walbert Mendoza (The Fencing Center)

Silver: Chris Matt (Capital Fencing Academy)

Bronze: Michael Bacon (Manhattan Fencing Center)

Bronze: Antonio Escueta Jr (Globus Fencing Academy)

5th: Richard Herrera (PDX Fencing)

6th: James Zirkle (RedStar Fencing Club Chicago)

7th: Sergey Makogon (Salt City Swords Fencing Club)

8th: Will Milne (Northern California)

Vet Combined Women’s Foil

Gold: Inga Cho (Renaissance Fencing Club)

Silver: Morgane Bhatt (Halberstadt Fencers' Club)

Bronze: Julie Seal (Valkyrie Fencing Club)

Bronze: Carolyn Granholm (Canada)

5th: Anne-Marie Walters (Masters Fencing Club)

6th: Rose Finter (Canada)

7th: Doina Bogdan (Southern California)

8th: Rachel Fedde (Brooklyn Fencing Center)

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