Fencers from Alliance Fencing Academy brought home 44 medals in last weekend’s USFA-sanctioned Regional fencing competition in Austin, Texas. The Badawi Challenge was held Saturday and Sunday February 4-5, 2017 with over 25 different clubs competing. As a United States Fencing Association (USFA) sanctioned competition, fencers could earn an opportunity to qualify to compete in the Junior Olympics and National Fencing Competitions. Sanctioned events also allow athletes to earn fencing ratings. Six Alliance Academy Fencers earned higher ratings at the Badawi Challenge.
Alliance Fencing Academy was founded in 2004 by United States Olympic Coach, Andrey Geva. Geva led Team USA’s Women’s Epee Team in the 2016 Olympics in Rio. Alliance Fencing Academy is the largest epee fencing club in the United States with over 350 students at its two locations in Houston and The Woodlands. It is also a top producer of collegiate fencers, with many students receiving athletic and academic scholarships to universities such as Columbia, U Penn, Penn State, Notre Dame, Northwestern and Stanford.
The Badawi Challenge had competitions for fencers 10 years-old-and-under (Y10), 12 years-old-and-under (Y12), 14 years-old-and-under (Y14), Cadets (16 years-old-and-under), and Juniors (20 years-old-and-under). Fifty-eight (58) fencers from Alliance Fencing Academy competed from both of Alliance’s locations.
In each event, fencers compete in pools of 6-7 athletes. Athletes fence one another in 5-touch bouts. Based on their performance in pools, fencers advance to lengthier Direct Elimination bouts to ultimately determine the winner of the competition.
The same weekend, six Alliance Fencing Academy fencers represented the United States at the World Cup event in Finland. Alliance fencer Gigi Vierheller brought home a Silver medal. Fellow Alliance teammate Barbara VanBenthuysen from The Woodlands, TX took 5th in the event. Alliance Fencing Academy member Jonathan Piskovatskov placed 5th in the Men’s Team Event.