Eastern Wayne Today

Second-year Wayne State University head fencing coach Andy Tulleners has announced the addition of Anabella Acurero Gonzalez from Valencia, Venezuela, to the 2024-25 women's fencing squad.

"I am very pleased to have Anabella join the women's fencing team this year," commented Tulleners. "She brings with her strong international experience and results to the growing women's team. We are looking forward to Anabella's contribution's to the team and the team's results this season."

Anabella Acurero Gonzalez is a foilist who graduated in 2022 from Colegio de San Gabriel Arcangel in Valencia, Venezuela. She has been part of the Venezuelan national fencing team and was a junior Olympian in Buenos Aires in 2018. Her achievements include earning a medal at the Pan American Games and becoming the South American Junior champion in 2021. She also finished eighth at the 2020 Junior Zone Championships in San Salvador, El Salvador, fifth at the 2019 Junior Zone Championships in Bogota, Colombia, third at the 2018 Zone Championships in San-Jose, Costa Rica, twelfth at the World Championships in Verona Italy, and sixth at the December 2017 World Cup in La Havane, Cuba.

Acurero Gonzalez was born on November 9, 2001, to Gustavo Acurero and Monica Gonzalez. Her aunt Mariana Gonzalez competed as a foilist at both the Athens Olympics in 2004 and Beijing Olympics in 2008, placing sixteenth and twenty-second respectively. Anabella plans to major in Global Studies.

With her addition, Wayne State's women's fencing squad now consists of three epeeists, five foilists, and one sabreist.