Congratulations to our Young Fencers
Posted June 11, 2012
Le Lycée Français de Los Angeles fencing program has developed and trained many fencers who have been recruited into the Ivy League Universities for their NCAA teams. Alumnae Orianna Isaacson, Alexie Rubin and Camille Gallardo all started fencing in the after-school program at the Lycée. All three later went on to join Columbia University’s fencing team. Orianna and Alexie were both All-Americans and All-Ivy Champions. Camille Gallardo became the US National champion, was recruited to fence on the Columbia team, and is now a rising junior in the NCAA.
Lycée’s fencing program encourages students to excel in sports while maintaining high academic standards. Through the many years, Carla Corbit and Margo Miller have been the coaches behind these fencers. They own and operate the Beverly Hills Fencers’ Club, which is the local training center for students who desire pursuing a higher level of competition and are college bound. Due to their stellar teaching abilities and warm personalities, they are now in charge of the entire fencing program at the Lycée. Their dedication to the sport and to their young athletes has helped many students realize their dreams of competing in Ivy League Colleges and becoming All-Americans.
The Lycée women’s scholastic league fencing team took first place at the State Championships in 2009 and has always been in the top three of their division. In 2011, one of our fencers, Khai Fujita, competed in the Pan American Championships in Mexico and won the Bronze medal. This year, in the new men’s Epée High School team, led by Captain Artem Pobiyakho, Gerard Khatchadourian, Daniel Palmieri and Alex Nazar placed 3rd and Chaya Shapiro placed 3rd in the women’s division at the California High School State Championships. In Mexico, at the International Fencing Festival in May, Artem Pobiyakho, a freshman at Lycée, came in 3rd and won the Bronze medal. He competed against fencers from 13 different countries for his medal. Lycée elementary student Shawn Burs won the bronze medal and Louie Kulber placed 5th at the US Nationals Qualifiers held in honor of Margo Miller in May, qualifying both for the US Summer Nationals this year. Le Lycée’s fencing program is excelling with each new generation of student-athletes who are only adding to the elite history of the program.
Several students take home medals at recent fencing tournaments
