5 April 2004

Two More Juniors Reach Top Eight at Junior Worlds

Two US juniors reached the quarterfinals today, the second day of Junior competition at the Junior & Cadet World Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. The US has placed at least one fencer in the top eight in each of the five days of the Championships so far.

Kamara James (19, Jamaica, N.Y.), seeded first after the pool rounds, was upset by Nathalie Moellhausen of Italy 15-13 in the round of eight of the Junior Women’s Epee competition.

Kelley Hurley (15, Medina, Texas) won her first bout in the table of 128 but then lost to the eventual gold medallist, Ana Branza of Romania, 15-6. Amy Orlando (19, Portland, Ore.) did not qualify for the direct elimination phase.

Tim Hagamen (19, New York, N.Y./Fencers Club) reached the final of eight in the Junior Men’s Saber competition. Seeded fourth after the pool round, Hagamen went undefeated through the day until he met Ilia Mokretsov of Russia in the quarterfinals and lost 15-12. Mokretsov reached the final and earned the silver.

The other two U.S. men’s saber fencers did not have such luck. Alex Krul lost his first direct elimination bout, in the round of 64, to Nicolae Alexandru Sireteanu of Romania 15-14. Mike Momtselidze () also lost his bout in the round of 64, to Wojciech Marczak of Poland, 15-12.

Tomorrow wraps up the final day of individual competition, with the Men’s Epee and Women’s Foil competitions.

Junior Women’s Epee

5 April 2004

108 competitors

1 BRANZA Ana ROM

2 DEL CARRETTO Bianca ITA

3 MOELLHAUSEN Nathalie ITA

3 TAN Li CHN

5 JAMES Kamara (19, Jamaica, N.Y./Westbrook Foundation)

6 CHRISTMANN Beate GER

7 LAMON Sophie SUI

8 QUONDAMCARLO Francesca ITA

55 HURLEY Kelley (15, Medina Texas/Team Hurley)

101 ORLANDO Amy (19, Portland, Ore./NorthWest Fencing)

Junior Men’s Saber

5 April 2004

80 competitors

1 LONTAY Balazs HUN

2 MOKRETSOV Ilia RUS

3 BOIKO Dmytro UKR

3 DRION Arnaud FRA

5 GURIN Yuriy UKR

6 HAGAMEN Timothy (19, New York, N.Y./Fencers Club)

7 TRICARICO Marco ITA

8 LIMBACH Nicolas GER

34 KRUL Alex (18, Beverly Hills, Calif./Falcon Fencing Club/Columbia)

38 MOMTSELIDZE Mike (20, Columbus, Ohio/Ohio Fencing Alliance)