This Saturday, several of the newer members of the Pioneer Fencing team gained valuable competitive experience at the Cleveland Fencing Academy's local tournament, which featured both saber and foil events. Representing Western Reserve Academy were Betty Yao '27, Laura Meng '28, Gehrig Namiotka '28, and Peter Zhu '29.

In Women's Saber, Laura Meng went undefeated in pool play to earn the top seed heading into elimination rounds. In her semifinal bout, she showed poise and adaptability against a much taller adult opponent, finding her rhythm mid-bout to secure the win. In the final, Laura battled back after falling behind early but ultimately settled for a strong silver medal finish. Gehrig Namiotka, competing in just his second tournament, earned a pool victory and fenced aggressively in his direct elimination round before falling to a more experienced opponent, finishing fifth overall.

In Foil, Betty Yao and Peter Zhu both demonstrated great progress. Betty won three of her pool bouts to secure the fifth seed but was edged out in a close elimination match, finishing fifth on the day. Peter, meanwhile, dominated pool play with six victories out of seven. After a decisive first elimination win, he edged out a familiar opponent from CFA in a tense 15–12 semifinal. In the gold-medal bout, Peter faced the only fencer who had defeated him earlier in the day. Adjusting to his opponent's unorthodox style, Peter used speed and timing to take an early lead and never looked back—winning the tournament and earning his E rating in foil.

Please join us in congratulating Laura, Gehrig, Betty, and Peter for their outstanding performances and continued development on the strip.

Next up: The Pioneers will host their next competition on November 16, 2025, in the WRA Field House. Come out and support the team!