Frisco fifth grader wins gold at national fencing event

A Frisco fifth grader came home from Cleveland with gold, a result that points to something bigger than one medal: a local pipeline that is turning school connections, family commitment and club coaching into national-level youth fencing.

Sana Sarath, 11, won the Y-12 Women’s Saber division at USA Fencing’s March 6-9 North American Cup in Cleveland, Ohio. USA Fencing’s official recap listed Sarath, a student at Founders Classical Academy Frisco, as the gold medalist and named Frisco Fencing Academy coaches Hector Florencia and Christopher Slaughter in connection with her victory. The North American Cup is one of the sport’s national events and includes youth divisions such as Y14, Y12 and Y10.

Sarath’s path into fencing began almost by accident. Her parents said she had been training for badminton when the family crossed paths with a fencing coach who was also serving as an interim physical education teacher at her school. That introduction quickly changed her direction. She trained in both sports briefly, then chose fencing after discovering the speed and discipline of the sport.

Since then, Sarath has trained at Frisco Fencing Academy with Slaughter and coach Lauren Arnecke, while also working with conditioning and mental-performance trainers. Her routine has included fencing practice, agility drills, strength work and school responsibilities. Her family says she carries that workload without complaint, and that the sport has sharpened her focus, accountability and time management.

The setting matters as much as the result. Frisco Fencing Academy, based in central Frisco, describes its program as child-first, with training built around confidence and focus before competitive demands are layered on. Founders Classical Academy Frisco describes itself as a tuition-free public K-12 charter school rooted in classical education and character development, a match that has helped Sarath remain an A-plus student while competing against elite youth fencers from across the country.

For Collin County, Sarath’s gold medal offers a clear signal about how youth athletics is changing here. National results are no longer limited to the largest metropolitan training centers. In Frisco, a school connection, a local academy and a family willing to support long practices and travel have already produced a national champion, and the same structure is now building the next wave behind her.