This month, six 
fencers were recruited to the following University’s NCAA teams and started their Freshman year, including five local Houston fencers:
Shekar Jayendra from Seven Lakes High School in Houston/Katy is fencing for the University of North Carolina, majoring in the School of Business.
Ark Ma, from Memorial High School in Houston is fencing for Harvard University.
Karen Naka from Memorial High School in Houston is fencing for the University of Washington majoring in Business and Psychology.
Elizabeth Wang from James E. Taylor High School in Houston is fencing for UPenn, majoring in Biochemistry.
Karen Wang from James E. Taylor High School in Houston is fencing for Northwestern University, majoring in Biomedical Engineering.
Elizabeth and Karen are twins.
Monica Balakrishnan from Carnegie Vanguard High School in Houston is fencing for Duke University, majoring in Neurosciences.
Local fencing club Alliance Fencing Academy was recently listed as the TOP EPEE CLUB and 3rd largest club in the United States by FencingTracker.com. Alliance received the top score of 951 based on the strength of its fencers, nearly 80% higher than the second-place club. Fencing Tracker evaluated four hundred thirty-four (434) clubs across the United States based on the fencers’ national ratings in the club. Ratings are earned through the United States Fencing Association (USFA) by competing in USFA-sanctioned events. Ratings range from A (top rating) through E and U for unrated. The United States Fencing Association (USFA) is the governing body for fencing in the United States.
This month, six Alliance Fencing Academy fencers were recruited to the following University’s NCAA teams and started their Freshman year
| Ark Ma
|
Harvard University
|
| Pilar Maldonado
|
Columbia University
|
| Elizabeth Wang
|
University of Pennsylvania
|
| Karen Wang
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Northwestern University
|
| Monica Balakrishnan
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Duke University
|
| Shekar Jayendra
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University of North Carolina
|
| Karen Naka
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University of Washington
|
Alliance is home to 5 World Champions and 3 Olympians. Twenty-four (24) Alliance fencers have earned multiple medals internationally, with 16 who are current members of the US national team. Over 40 Alliance fencers are US National Champions and over 150 Alliance fencers have earned USFA recognized classification letters at various local and national tournaments.
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 and the 2020(1) Olympics in Tokyo. Alliance Fencing Academy is the largest epee fencing club in the United States with over 300 students at its two locations in Houston and The Woodlands. It continues to be a top producer of collegiate fencers, with many students receiving athletic and academic scholarships.