DURHAM, N.C. - Duke sophomore Dylan Nollner won the epee silver medal at the U-20 Junior Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah, to earn a spot on the US Junior World Team.
Nollner, who went 10-2 overall at the competition and won six consecutive bouts to reach the championship round, will compete with the Junior World Team at the Junior Fencing Championships in Moscow this spring.
A native of Ogden, Utah, Nollner had little trouble in reaching the Junior Olympics U-20 Epee Championship round, losing just one of his first 11 matchups. He would then fall 15-12 to second-seeded Garrett McGrath in the championship bout.
After opening the first round of Friday's Junior Olympics with a 4-1 record in his pool, Nollner advanced to the single-elimination bracket of round two where he received a first round bye. He made quick work of his first two opponents, winning 15-6 and 15-9, to reach the quarterfinals where he upended 13th-seeded Anton Piskovatskov 15-11 to reach the quarterfinals.
In the quarterfinals, he knocked off Justin Hahn 15-9 and then pulled out a narrow 15-12 victory over Brian Ro in the semifinals. He then took down Ace Eldeib 15-11 to reach the championship round against McGrath.
The Junior Olympics continue over the weekend with the U-20 epee and saber competitions remaining.
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