December SJCC & Para NAC: Day 1 Recap
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by Nicole Kirk
ATLANTA, GA. - On day one of the December SJCC and Parafencing NAC, there were big milestones that were hit as several fencers earned their first gold medals at a national tournament or the first in awhile.
Rayn Patel (Capital Fencing Academy) who took home gold in Cadet Men’s Saber reflected on his gold medal saying it felt amazing, “Because, I haven't had a really good result in a bit, and I've been, wanting to get to the next step of winning a tournament, or feeling what it's like to be a champion. So it feels great.”
Patel continued to reflect saying how much he appreciated his coach and everything he had done for him up to this point. “It means everything to me. I mean, I'm sad my coach wasn't here. He's in Eisingen, but I feel like I owe him this tournament, because he's been putting a lot of time and effort into me. So it feels like it's, it feels like everything.”
Also feeling proud of her result is Cora Weeks (German Fencing Academy). Weeks took home gold in the Parafencing Women’s Epee event where participating meant competing in her first NAC. She said her first thought when she earned gold was “how did I get here?”
She continued saying “it was intimidating, exciting, all the emotions, kind of all when I first got here, I was excited, and then I got nervous, but then as soon as I started fencing, it kind of brushed away.” Letting it brush away led her to her first national gold medal.
Simon Lioznyansky (Alliance Fencing Academy) shared his secret to getting back to gold, “a chocolate chip cookie.” Lioznyansky talked about how he gets through long days and when hunger sets in he reaches for a chocolate chip cookie.
“Everybody's healthy. Not me. I'm not a healthy person, no, but it works. I mean, it works. It’s consistently worked on me getting medals.”
December SJCC & Para NAC Day 1#
8 photos
Parafencing Women’s Epee
Gold: Cora Weeks (German Fencing Academy)
Silver: Patricia "Mama T" Dykes (Orion Fencing & Zeljkovic Fencing Academy)
Parafencing Men’s Epee
Gold: Abe Kaplan (Greensboro Fencing Academy)
Silver: Tareq Alqallaf (Zeljkovic Fencing Academy)
Bronze: Matthew Pevoto (Houston Sword Sports)
Bronze: Nicholas Badeaux (Fencing Institute Of Texas & Invictus Fencing)
5th: Etienne Tremblay (CAN)
6th: Timothy Birt (Shepherd Swords Fencing Club & Auburn Fencing Club)
7th: Stephen Burch Jr. (Mission Fencing Center)
Junior Women’s Saber
Gold: Sofiia Vinogorova (Fencing Academy Of Denver)
Silver: Valentina Chiarelli (Manhattan Fencing Center)
Bronze: Alexis Li (Scarsdale Fencing Center & Fencers Club Inc.)
Bronze: Ellie Kang (Premier Fencing Academy)
5th: Zitong "Meya" Lei (LA Fencing Academy of Pomona & LA International Fencing)
6th: Sonia Li (Advance Fencing And Fitness Academy)
7th: Amari Pantaleon-Mazola (Nellya Fencers)
8th: Nina Goldin (Salle Auriol Seattle)
Junior Women’s Foil
Gold: Emily Cho (Gutkovskiy Fencing Academy)
Silver: Youyang Xia (CHN)
Bronze: Yiran Wang (Star Fencing Academy)
Bronze: Yixi Wang (Star Fencing Academy)
5th: Jiahn "Lana" Lee (Elite Fencing Club)
6th: Grace Feng (Tim Morehouse Fencing Club)
7th: Meredith K. Palmer (University Of Notre Dame)
8th: Chuxi Sheng (AIC Fencing Club)
Junior Men’s Epee
Gold: Simon Lioznyansky (Alliance Fencing Academy)
Silver: Michael Bezrodnov (Medeo Fencing Club)
Bronze: James Knox (Fencers Club Inc.)
Bronze: Ethan Romanov (Alliance Fencing Academy)
5th: Alex Wolfe (Savage Fencing Club)
6th: Jake Mann (Wanglei International Fencing Club)
7th: Lance Headrick (Elite Fencing Academy VA & Elite Fencing Academy GA)
8th: Landon Shchur (New York Fencing Academy)
Cadet Men’s Saber
Gold: Rayn Patel (Capital Fencing Academy)
Silver: William Yan (Nazlymov Fencing Foundation)
Bronze: Ethan Kim (Tim Morehouse Fencing Club)
Bronze: Jayden Hwang (LA Fencing Academy of Pomona)
5th: Jake Gonzalez (Globus Fencing Academy)
6th: Cyrus Contractor (Phoenix Fencing Academy)
7th: Maxim Lin (International Fencing Club)
8th: Miles Chambers (Tim Morehouse Fencing Club)
