Strong Performances, Close Contests: Fencers Hold Their Own at North American Cup
CINCINNATI, OH - Over two days of intense competition at the North American Cup, a group of determined fencers stepped onto the strip and delivered performances that spoke to both their preparation and potential. From sharp sabre work to gritty epee bouts, the team made its presence felt across multiple divisions on Friday and Saturday.
Let’s start with the sabre squad, where Vasko Atanassov and Samantha Maryash each made solid runs in their respective brackets. Both fencers earned a BYE to start, then followed up with two bout victories apiece.
Atanassov ultimately secured a 25th-place finish out of a deep field of 209 in Division 1 Men's Sabre-a strong result in one of the most explosive weapons in fencing. Maryash held her own in Junior Women’s Sabre, finishing 30th out of 162 competitors after a pair of early wins.
In Junior Women’s Epee, Mia Smotritsky and Kaitlyn Zanga both cracked the top 45 out of 170 fencers. Zanga opened her day with a dominant 15-2 victory before bowing out in the round of 64. Smotritsky edged out her first opponent in a tight bout, then came up just short in the next round against the 23rd seed-a close contest that could’ve swung either way.
Friday Results Recap:
- Junior Women’s Epee: Kaitlyn Zanga: 35th Mia Smotritsky: 41st
- Division 1 Men’s Sabre: Vasko Atanassov: 25th
- Junior Women’s Sabre: Samantha Maryash: 30th
Saturday Results Recap:
Saturday brought a fresh slate of events and new challenges for the men’s epee and foil competitors. In Division 1 Men’s Epee, Logan Gatza, Shekar Jayendra, and Sebastian Glennon faced a stacked field.
Gatza and Jayendra landed in the 120s, while Glennon rounded out the group at 219th. It was a tough draw, but valuable experience against high-level opponents.
In Division 1 Men’s Foil, Yanni Tsimiklis led the way with a 69th-place finish, showing flashes of strong technical fencing. Ivan Radoslavov and Aiden Song wrapped up their days in 130th and 176th, respectively. While the results may not jump off the page, each bout was another step forward in their development.
The Junior Women’s Foil event also took place Saturday, though final placements were not listed in the results.
Bottom Line:
This weekend’s NAC was another opportunity for these fencers to test themselves against some of the best in the country-and many rose to the occasion.
From Atanassov’s top-25 sabre finish to Zanga’s commanding opening win in epee, there’s plenty to build on. As the season continues, performances like these are the foundation for bigger breakthroughs down the line.