Houston-Area Fencers Win Four Gold Medals at Junior World Cup in Costa Rica
HOUSTON, Texas — Four athletes from Houston-area Alliance Fencing Academy delivered strong performances at the Junior Fencing World Cup in San José, Costa Rica, helping Team USA capture gold medals in both the men’s and women’s épée team competitions while earning additional honors in individual events.
The international tournament, held October 22-25, 2026, brought together qualifying fencers from 20 nations, with results contributing toward qualification for the World Championships.
Chloe Tolsma, a Houston native and Stanford University freshman, led the academy’s performances by winning two gold medals, one in the Junior Women’s Épée Team event and another in the individual competition.
Tolsma helped Team USA defeat China 45-22 in the women’s team final before also claiming the individual gold medal.
Memorial High School Senior Helps Team USA Defeat Canada
Caleb Eskridge, a senior at Memorial High School in Houston, helped the United States win gold in the Junior Men’s Épée Team competition.
Team USA defeated Canada 45-31 in the championship match.
Eskridge, who has trained at Alliance Fencing Academy since he was 8 years old, also competed in the individual event, finishing 16th.
The victory marked another international achievement for the Houston-area high school fencer.
Missouri City Fencer Wins Bronze, Houston Senior Finishes Sixth
Two additional Alliance Fencing Academy athletes earned recognition in the men’s individual competition.
Elijah Imrek, a Missouri City native who now competes for the University of Notre Dame, captured the bronze medal in Junior Men’s Épée.
Imrek is a sophomore at Notre Dame, where he is a member of the varsity épée team and majors in finance.
Jonathan Barg, a senior at The Emery/Weiner School in Houston, finished sixth in the Junior Men’s Épée Individual competition, placing among the tournament’s top eight competitors.
Alliance Fencing Academy Results at Junior World Cup
| Athlete | Event | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Chloe Tolsma | Junior Women’s Épée Team | Gold, USA defeated China 45-22 |
| Chloe Tolsma | Junior Women’s Épée Individual | Gold |
| Caleb Eskridge | Junior Men’s Épée Team | Gold, USA defeated Canada 45-31 |
| Elijah Imrek | Junior Men’s Épée Individual | Bronze |
| Jonathan Barg | Junior Men’s Épée Individual | 6th place |
| Caleb Eskridge | Junior Men’s Épée Individual | 16th place |
Houston Fencing Academy Continues International Success
Alliance Fencing Academy coach Dorian Jimenez provided coaching for the academy’s athletes during the international competition.
Jimenez teaches at the academy’s Houston and Katy locations.
Founded in 2004 by Andrey Geva, Alliance Fencing Academy has grown into the largest épée fencing club in the United States, according to the academy, with more than 550 students across three locations in Houston, The Woodlands and Katy.
Geva previously served as a U.S. Olympic fencing coach at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics and the Tokyo Olympics held in 2021.
The academy’s latest international results add to its record of developing athletes who compete at the collegiate and international levels.
