Ella Calise Makes History with Back-to-Back Junior Olympic FOIL Titles

January 10, 2025 | Kansas City, Missouri

Ella Calise continues to make history for Tim Morehouse Fencing Club, becoming the only fencer in club history to win back-to-back Junior Olympic titles and tying Sydney Hirsch for the most Junior Olympic medals in TMFC women’s history with three. She now sits just one medal away from matching the all-time club record of four, held by Nickoloz Lortkipanidze. Competing in Kansas City, Calise successfully defended her title in the Junior Women’s Foil event, capturing the Junior Olympic championship for the second consecutive year.

A sophomore at Rye Country Day School, Calise has been a member of Tim Morehouse Fencing Club since November 2021. Her rise has been steady and deliberate—marked by consistent improvement, dedication to training, and an expanding presence on the international fencing circuit. Now traveling regularly to compete abroad, she has firmly established herself among the top young foil fencers in the United States.

Calise trains under the guidance of TMFC’s lead foil coach Slava Grigoriev, an Olympian, alongside TMFC elite foil coach and Olympian Mohammad Essam, whose combined experience and attention to detail have played a key role in her continued rise.

With this victory, Ella Calise is now tied for the most Junior Olympic titles in club history with Women’s Saber fencer Brynnley McKee, who trained at TMFC from Youth-10 through her rise to #1 Cadet in the country, earned a top-8 finish at the Cadet World Championships, and captured both the Cadet and Junior Women’s Saber titles at the 2025 Junior Olympics.

Ella entered this Junior Olympics ranked 6th nationally in the Cadet (Under-17) category, Calise’s championship performance is expected to move her closed to a top-3 ranking in the USA with several key competitions still remaining this season. The top-3 fencers at the end of the February NAC qualify for the 2025 Cadet World Championships in Brazil.

As the season continues, all eyes will be on Ella Calise as she pushes toward the next stage of her already remarkable fencing journey.

Her achievement is not only a personal milestone, but also a reflection of the long-term development model at Tim Morehouse Fencing Club—where athletes are built through technical excellence, competitive experience, and a commitment to growth on and off the strip.

More strong performances at the 2026 Junior Olympics

Ella Calise and Grace Feng with TMFC Coaches on the Podium

In the same Junior Women’s Foil event as Calise, Grace Feng finished top-8, further underscoring TMFC’s strength in the weapon.

On the men’s side, Connor Chung earned Bronze and Devyn Anthony captured Silver in the Cadet Men’s Saber event, continuing a long tradition of TMFC success across age groups and disciplines. Connor Chung became 1 of only 7 TMFC fencers to capture multiple JO medals in his career.

In total, TMFC athletes have won seven Junior Olympic titles—three in foil (two women’s, one men’s) and four in saber (two women’s, two in men’s). Ella Calise, Brynnley McKee and Nikoloz Lortkipanidze each account for two of those championships, while Nickolas Rusadze (2023 Cadet Men’s Foil) and complete the list of TMFC Junior Olympic champions. In addition to champions.

In all, TMFC has won 28 Individual Junior Olympic medals with Connor Chung’s Bronze medal placing him amongst an elite group of 5 TMFC Fencers who have won multiple medals.

Most Junior Olympic Medals Won in TMFC History

1. Nickoloz Lortkipanidze(4 Medals)

2. Ella Calise (3 medals)

3. Sydney Hirsch (3 Medals)

4. Rusadze, Nickolas (2)

5. Brynnley Mckee (2)

6. Connor Chung (2)

7. Robert Wang (2)

Can she make history again?
Calise now sits within striking distance of the top mark, with an opportunity to tie Nickoloz’s record with a strong performance in the Cadet Women’s Foil event tomorrow.

All-Time TMFC Junior Olympic Medalists

7 Gold medalists
5 Silver medalists
5 Bronze Medalists
(28 medals Total)

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