Peter Westbrook Foundation Dominates at the 2019 National Championships

SALT LAKE CITY, May 1, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- This month, nearly 1500 competitors converged on Salt Lake City, Utah to compete in the Division I National Fencing Championships held at the Salt Palace Convention Center.  This year's event held extreme importance with World Champions, Olympians and Team USA members all vying for positions to be named to the 2019 Senior World Championship Team.   The Peter Westbrook Foundation's (PWF's) elite athletes represented in events spanning across all six individual and team categories.  Results included:

• Division I WE - Isis Washington - GOLD Medal Champion
• Division I MS Team - GOLD Medal Champion
• Division III MS - Liam Cotter - GOLD Medal Champion
• Division I ME Team - SILVER Medal
• Division I WE Team - SILVER Medal
• Division I WS - Kamali Thompson - SILVER Medal
• Division I WF - Iman Blow - SILVER Medal
• Division I ME - Adam Rodney - SILVER Medal & Dwight Smith - 5th place

Highlighting the individual event, Isis Washington would win her first Senior National Championship title.  The result completed what has been a breakthrough season that included three podium finishes on the North American Cup circuit along with a quarterfinals appearance on the Senior World Cup circuit.  In the semifinals of the event, Isis would defeat Senior World Team Champion, Amanda Sirico 15-9 before going on to dominate Michaela Joyce 15-10 to claim the gold medal. 

In the team events, PWF Men's Sabre continued a long history of dominance by claiming the National Team Championship title.  The team comprised of Khalil Thompson, Nolan Williams, Noah Te Velde and Josef Cohen, defeated Nellya Fencer's in the semifinal 45-34 before squaring off with the Durkan Fencing Academy in the final.  After a commanding start to the match, the PWF sabre squad would hold out to ultimately defeat the Durkan Fencing Academy 45-29 and claim the national championship.

As a result of the stellar performance at the National Championships and throughout the season, a number of PWF elite fencers were named to the Senior World Team.  The honor entitles PWF athletes to compete at the Pan-American Zonal Championships this June, along with the Senior World Fencing Championships later this summer in Budapest, Hungary.  The PWF athletes representing at this year's championships include: Daryl Homer, Nzingha Prescod, Adam Rodney, Curtis McDowald, and Khalil Thompson.

"This was such a phenomenal performance by our elite athletes at the National Championships," said Executive Director Peter Westbrook.  "I couldn't be more thrilled for the athletes who will be representing the program and the United States at the World Championships this summer.  As we prepare for the Tokyo Olympic Games we know that they will do us all proud."

Contact:
Benjamin Bratton
917-673-7648

SOURCE Peter Westbrook Foundation