Alliance Fencing Academy has great finish on European tour

THE WOODLANDS, Texas -- Alliance Fencing Academy fencers participated in fencing tournaments across the globe from October through December.

At Klagenfurt, Austria, Oct 26-27, Farrah Lee-Elabd along with fellow teammates, Camille Esnault and Saanchi Kukadia on the Women’s Epee Team brought home the gold medal. Lee-Elabd, lives in San Antonio but trains during the year at Alliance Fencing Academy in Houston.

On the Cadet Men’s Epee Team, Alliance Fencers, Michael Popovici and Esteban Sanchez, along with fellow U.S. teammates Jason Xu and Clinton Rodell earned a bronze team medal.

In other medal or top finishes:

Memorial de Martinengo, Bratislava. Slovakia, Nov 16-17

Lewis Weiss records best international result.

Lewis Weiss finished in 6th place in Junior Men’s Epee. After a bye into the table of 128, Weiss won his first two direct elimination bouts by 15-12 scores over Daniel Huitar (CZE) and Florian Maunz (GER). Weiss edged Paul Allegre (FRA) to become the only U.S. fencer to advance to the table of 16 where he defeated Alexandre Oberson (FRA), 15-11. In the quarter-finals, Weiss lost to 2013 Junior World silver medalist Yulen Pereira (ESP), 15-7. This was Weiss’ best international result.

Grenoble, France, Nov. 23-24

Gigi Vierheller wins a gold medal.

Fifteen-year-old Vierheller won her first international title at the Grenoble Epee Cadet European Cup in France. Fencing in her second season on the cadet international circuit, Vierheller began her climb up the U.S. rankings when she won gold in the U17 event at the October North American Cup.

Vierheller won six straight bouts in the first round of pools and took four of six in the second round to earn the 11th seed in the table of 128. After a bye into the table of 64, Vierheller fenced 15-year-old Brooke Sirico (Bowie, Md.) and outtouched her teammate, 15-14. She then defeated Italian Alessia Cocozza, 15-8, in the table of 32 and Camille Nabeth (FRA), 15-10, in the 16. She remained undefeated and advanced to the quarter-final rounds after a 15-11 win over Federica Isola (ITA) – the top-ranked fencer in the Cadet European standings.

Chalons, France, Nov. 23-24

Team USA’s men’s epee fencers claimed gold in both the individual and team competition.

The U.S. team set the tone when Yoo (La Verne, Calif.)and Esteban Sanchez (League City, Texas) won gold and silver, respectively, in the individual competition. Yoo and Sanchez both went undefeated in the pools and earned byes into the table of 128 as the third and fourth seeds, Although Sanchez is still in his first year on the cadet European circuit, he got off to a quick start in the direct elimination tables with three straight single-digit victories.

Sanchez advanced to the table of 16 with wins over Louis Maurier (FRA), 15-9; Zachary Zeller (Henderson, Nev.), 15-6; and Manuel-Stephen Horstmann (GER), 15-8.

Yoo won his fourth title of 2013 when he defeated Sanchez, 15-10, in the final bout. Sanchez returned to competition on Sunday when he led USA 2 to a gold medal finish in the team event.

Congratulations to all the Alliance Fencers and to Head Coach Andrey. Alliance Fencing Academy has two campuses: 4141 Directors Row, Houston and 27326 Robinson Rd, Conroe. More information can be found at the link below.