Two fencers compete in epee

Kira Hansen (Academy of Fencing Masters) fences against Sandra Marchant (Rogue Fencing Academy & The Phoenix Center).

January 2025 NAC

January 2025 NAC, Day 1: Veteran Fencers and Olympians Shine on Opening Day

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by Bryan Wendell & Rachel Luce

At the January North American Cup in Kansas City, Hansen repeats in Vet Women’s Epee, Olivares makes his Vet 60 debut, and Scruggs dominates in Division I foil.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A year after winning the Veteran Women’s Epee Combined event in San Jose, Kira Hansen (Academy of Fencing Masters) didn’t dare dream of repeating her success. In a weapon where back-to-back golds are notoriously elusive, Hansen made it happen again.

“I came to this event thinking I would never be able to do it again,” she says. “I took it touch by touch, bout by bout, and tried not to think about it. I managed to do it again, and I'm just so pumped.”

Hansen’s victory was one of 13 gold medals awarded Friday, the opening day of the January 2025 North American Cup in Kansas City. After 12 years away from fencing to raise her three kids, Hansen says her youngest child will be the first to hear the news.

“I will call my little boy who was with me last year,” she says. “He's 8, and he’s so proud of his mom, even when I don’t win.”

For Frets Olivares (Fencers Club Inc.), who took gold in the Vet 60 Men’s Foil event, pride also runs deep in his family. His son, Marcello Olivares, is an elite fencer and Notre Dame graduate who continues to inspire him.

“It’s a family sport, if you will,” Frets says. “It runs in the family.”

Having recently moved up to the Vet 60 category, Frets described the transition as both challenging and rewarding.

“I feel amazing,” he says. “I just joined the 60s category, and it has been challenging, but I’m really enjoying my time right now.”

Meanwhile, in one of the day’s two Division I events, Lauren Scruggs OLY continued her winning streak, claiming gold at her first NAC since her stellar performance at the Olympic Games Paris 2024, where she earned individual silver and team gold.

“The Olympics are kind of crazy,” Scruggs says. “So it’s nice to be in a familiar space again, you know. It’s nice to see all the people I know from fencing for so long. Overall, a very good tournament — not just result-wise, but socially, too.”

For Henri Darricau (Denver Fencing Center), who captured gold in the Vet 70 Men’s Foil event, fencing is more than a competition — it’s a lifestyle.

“I use it to stay in shape,” Darricau says. “You know, when I tell people I’m 70 years old, they say, ‘No, no, no.’ But you know what? I stay active — I fence, I do cross-country, I ride a motorcycle, dirt bike, off-road. I do a lot of activity. And that just keeps me young.”

Day 1 Photos

Find competition photos on our Facebook page.


Day 1: Top 8 Medalists

Division I Women’s Foil

Gold: Lauren Scruggs OLY (Peter Westbrook Foundation & Fencers Club Inc.)

Silver: Jaelyn Liu (Star Fencing Academy & Fencing Institute of Texas)

Bronze: Mikayla Chusid (Gutkovskiy Fencing Academy)

Bronze: Katherine Kim (University of California San Diego & Golubitsky Fencing Center)

5th: Chin-Yi Kong (Golden State Fencing Academy & Princeton University)

6th: Josephina (JoJo) Conway (University of Notre Dame & Escrime Du Lac)

7th: Hailey Eyer (Manchen Academy of Fencing)

8th: Katerina Lung (Moe Fencing Club LLC)

Division I Men’s Saber

Gold: Emilio Gonzalez (Scarsdale Fencing Center & Fencers Club Inc.)

Silver: Lev BenAvram (Nazlymov Fencing Foundation & National Capital Fencers Club)

Bronze: Antonio Heathcock (University of Pennsylvania & Manhattan Fencing Center)

Bronze: Daryl Homer OLY (Peter Westbrook Foundation)

5th: Tony Escueta (Globus Fencing Academy & Boston Fencing Club)

5th: Darii Lukashenko (Manhattan Fencing Center)

7th: Jordan Silberzweig (Manhattan Fencing Center & Yale University Fencing)

7th: Khalil Thompson OLY (Peter Westbrook Foundation & Fencers Club Inc.)

Cadet Men’s Epee

Gold: Daniel Chirashnya (Academy of Fencing Masters)

Silver: Andy Zheng (Guanyi Fencing Academy & Twin Cities Fencing Club)

Bronze: Jake Lo (Swords Fencing Studio)

Bronze: Lucas Hu (Canada)

5th: Leon Fu (Swords Fencing Studio)

6th: Caleb Eskridge (Alliance Fencing Academy)

7th: Levi Atkins (New York Fencing Academy)

8th: Zachary Li (Canada)

Vet Combined Women’s Epee

Gold: Kira Hansen (Academy of Fencing Masters)

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

Bronze: Cynthia Glover (Rain City Fencing Center & Salle Auriol Seattle)

Bronze: Janet Marsh (No Fear Fencing)

5th: Lisa Wolf (Riverside Fencing Club)

6th: Annika Suchoski (Valkyrie Fencing Club)

7th: Christina Kaneshige (Denver Fencing Center & Polaris Fencing Center)

8th: Valerie Asher (DC Fencers Club)

Vet 40 Men’s Foil

Gold: Stephen Jan (Metropolitan NYC Division)

Silver: Jean-Francois Jalbert (Canada)

Bronze: Douglas Miller (RedStar Fencing Club Chicago)

Bronze: Aleksandr Volkov Sr. (Auburn Fencing Club)

5th: Dong-Ying Pai (Twin Cities Fencing Club)

6th: Michael Kreidman (New Jersey Fencing Alliance)

7th: James Flanagan (Youth Enrichment League Fencing Club & Center for Blade Arts)

8th: Michael Green (Brooklyn Bridge Fencing Club)

Vet 50 Men’s Foil

Gold: Rafael Suarez (Masters Fencing Club)

Silver: Craig Harkins (Lotus Fencing Academy)

Bronze: Reynaldo (Rey) Lopez (Heartland Fencing Academy)

Bronze: Marek Wyszynski (Fencers Club Inc.)

5th: Michael Cho (Renaissance Fencing Club)

6th: Jie Zhang (Canada)

7th: Thomas Cheng (Stoccata Fencing Academy & Club & Orlando Fencing Sports Center LLC)

8th: Peter Habala (RedStar Fencing Club Chicago)

Vet 60 Men’s Foil

Gold: Frets Olivares (Fencers Club Inc.)

Silver: Eric Dew (Halberstadt Fencers' Club)

Bronze: Jamie Douraghy (LA International Fencing)

Bronze: Roustam Pimoutkine (Fencers Club Inc.)

5th: John Lawrence (Masters Fencing Academy NJ)

6th: Matthew Denman (American Fencing Academy of Dayton)

7th: Omar Fadl (AIC Fencing Club)

8th: Chris Balestracci (Iconic Fencing Club & Fencers School of Connecticut)

Vet 70 Men’s Foil

Gold: Henri Darricau (Denver Fencing Center)

Silver: Joseph Biebel (AZ United Fencing Club)

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

Bronze: Adrian Sessions (Bay Area Fencing Club & The Fencing Center)

5th: Michael Ress (Hudson Centers for the Martial Arts)

6th: Philippe Bennett (Fencers Club Inc.)

7th: Richard Mayer (Masters Fencing Academy NJ)

8th: Thomas (Tom) Lutton (Denver Fencing Center)

Vet 80 Men’s Foil

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

Silver: James Brykczynski (Bucks County Academy of Fencing)

Vet 40 Women’s Saber

Gold: Kathryn Pierrynowski (Research Triangle Fencing)

Silver: Aziza Hassan (Durkan Fencing Academy & Peter Westbrook Foundation)

Bronze: Emily Grajales (Stoccata Fencing Academy & Club)

Bronze: Clare Deming (Lilov Fencing Academy)

5th: Lynn Zhang (PDX Fencing)

6th: Agnieszka Koszyk (RedStar Fencing Club Chicago)

7th: Elizabeth Earls (West Berkeley Fencing Club)

8th: Giselle Martinez Elizalde (Mexico)

Vet 50 Women’s Saber

Gold: Julie Seal (Valkyrie Fencing Club)

Silver: Kate Sierra (Staten Island Fencing Club & Wagner College)

Bronze: Leigh Altman (Globus Fencing Academy & Staten Island Fencing Club)

Bronze: Nona Lim (United Fencers of Oakland)

5th: Yelena Kalkina (Oregon Fencing Alliance)

6th: Zhao Xia Kong (Canada)

7th: Dawn Wilson (Louisville Fencing Center, Inc.)

8th: Natalia Oblonsky (Manhattan Fencing Center)

Vet 60 Women’s Saber

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

Silver: Robin Pernice (Dynamo Fencing Center Inc.)

Bronze: Jenny Yang (Nellya Fencers)

Bronze: Rebecca Freyre (Fencing Academy of Denver & Denver Fencing Center)

5th: Beth Vance (Renaissance Fencing Club)

6th: Nam Heui Kim (New England)

7th: Yoko Oishi (PDX Fencing)

8th: Sharon Gordon (Manhattan Fencing Center)

Vet 70 Women’s Saber

Gold: Heidi Runyan (Spartak)

Silver: Jennette Starks-Faulkner (Connecticut Fencers Club & Marx Fencing Academy)

Bronze: Jeannine Bender (Capital Fencing Academy)

Bronze: Karen Lum (San Francisco Sabre School)

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

6th: Lori Radich (Hangtown Saber Club & The Fencing Center)

7th: Gemin Channing (Capitol)

8th: Dede Deane (Salle Green Fencing School)

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