2026 Junior Olympics Day 2 Recap: Hunger, Preparation and Poise in Kansas City
Published
Day 2 of the 2026 Junior Olympic Championships in Kansas City decided five national titles.
Day 2 of the 2026 Junior Olympic Championships in Kansas City decided five national titles.
Individual national champions
- Junior Women's Foil — Ella Calise (Tim Morehouse Fencing Club (Port Chester))
- Cadet Men's Epee — Christopher Davoodian (Swords Fencing Studio)
- Cadet Men's Saber — Jeein Joo (South Bay Fencing & Globus Fencing Academy)
Team national champions
- Junior Team Women's Saber — Turkey's Missing (Sophia Mann, Emilia Pabian, Heartlyn Tabangay and Gloria Ruoyan Wang)
- Junior Team Men's Foil — Unseasoned Vets (Sebastian Elwood, Isaiah Klotz, Ben Rose and Owen Traugot)
Cadet Men's Saber
Jeein Joo won Cadet Men's Saber. A cadet national title at the Junior Olympics means winning a qualified field — fencers reach the JOs through their division or region, so the bracket is not simply whoever registered first.
Junior Team Women's Saber
Turkey's Missing took Junior Team Women's Saber. Club teams at the JOs are often assembled from fencers who train together weekly, which is part of why team results tend to follow clubs with consistent group programs rather than individual standouts.
What preparation actually looks like
USA Fencing framed the day around hunger, preparation and poise. In practice that means the unglamorous parts of a season: footwork on ordinary Tuesdays, lessons that correct the same distance error repeatedly, equipment maintained before travel, and enough local competition that a national venue feels ordinary.
For families considering the path
If your fencer is in their first year, the Junior Olympics is not the next step — a local or divisional event is. But knowing the structure early helps: qualification happens through division and regional results, so the season plan matters more than any single tournament.
Related reading on Saber Nation
- 2026 Junior Olympics Day 3 recap
- 2026 Junior Olympics Day 1 recap
- All USA Fencing news for saber fencers
Train with us in Bethesda
Saber Nation coaches youth, cadet and junior saber fencers at 4701 Sangamore Road, Suite LL2, Bethesda, MD 20816. See our saber fencing classes in Bethesda or contact us.
Official USA Fencing source: 2026 Junior Olympics Day 2 Recap: Hunger, Preparation and Poise Pay Off in Kansas City — published January 10, 2026.
Training options
Continue with 2026 Junior Olympics Day 3 recap or More USA Fencing news or Saber fencing classes in Bethesda, MD.