Staff Coaches will include...
DAVE MICAHNIK - CAMP DIRECTOR
Dave Micahnik has led the University of Pennsylvania fencing program to winning records in each of his 34 seasons. His 2004 women’s team captured its ninth Ivy League title and first IFA title. The 1997 U.S. Fencing Coaches Association Collegiate Coach of the Year, Micahnik has led the Quakers to 21 Ivy League titles and a pair of national championships. He also led the men to runner-up finishes on three occasions. Micahnik has produced numerous All-Americans and All-Ivy League selections during his tenure. A 1959 Penn graduate, Micahnik was a first-team All-Ivy selection in epee as a senior, the 1960 U.S. National Champion and a competitor in three Olympic games. Micahnik has also coached U.S. teams in four Under-20 World Championships, five World University Games, two World Championships, the 1985 and 1993 World Maccabiah Games and the 1986 and 1988 Junior Pan Am Games.
IOSIF VITEBSKIY
Iosif Vitebskiy has been an assistant fencing coach at Penn for 10 seasons. He has helped guide the men’s program to Ivy League titles and a high placement at the NCAA Championships. Prior to joining the Red and Blue staff, Vitebskiy served for 10 years as the director of the school for high sport achievements at the State University of Ukraine. Previously, he was head coach of the Ukraine Republic National and Olympic team for 13 years, where he guided five epee fencers to National and OIympic championships. Vitebskiy was a member of both the Soviet Union and Ukraine national teams. He is a 19-time national champion medalist and was a three-time winner of both the Soviet Union and the Europe Cup tournament.
DR. RON MILLER
Ron has been Head Fencing Coach for the men's and women's teams at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for over 3 decades. During that time, he has also coached the U.S. Junior World Team (1981), the Senior World Championship Team (1983), and the Junior Pan American Team (1987). From 1985-95, he served as the director of the USFA's National Coaches College and from 1983-91 he was the director of the USFA's National Junior Elite Summer Programs. He is a two-time member of the NCAA's Fencing Committee and is a three-time NCAA Regional Committee Chair. Miller has been a USFA National Coaching Staff member. Ron is known for his passion for bringing fencing to new audiences and participants.
DICK OLES
Dick Oles served as head coach at Johns Hopkins University for 44 years and was one of three American-born coaches to pass the international fencing master’s examination when it was introduced on this continent. Appointed to the U.S. coaching staff in 1978, he is well-known at both the junior and senior levels. His Salle Palasz is Baltimore’s link in the East’s chain of top salles, while his Tri-Weapon Boys’ Club has produced four national youth champions.
YAKOV DANILENKO
Yakov Danilenko is the founder of the Medeo Fencing Club and has 37 years of fencing experience, including 29 as a coach. He earned the highest classification in sports in the former Soviet Union and receieved the highest honor attained by a coach in the former USSR.
DR. ANDREI LAMIANSKI
Dr. Lamianski has 27 years of fencing experience and has coached champions at the European Junior Fencing Cup, the World Junior Fencing Cup, the Championship of the World Junior Fencing Cup and Champions of Belarus. Dr. Lamianski has a PHD in Sport Psychology and Physical Education, Master of Sports in Fencing (which was the Highest Classification of Sports in the former USSR). Currently Dr. Lamianski teaches at the Medeo Club in New Jersey.
GAMAL MAHMOUD
An outstanding epee master; Coach Prise de Fer Fencing Club since 2002; Coach Boston Fencing Club since 2002 ; Coach Northeastern University since 2002 ; Coach Phillips Andover since 2002 ; Assistant Coach Harvard University since 2005 ; Alexandria Fencing Club, Alexandria, Egypt 1998-1999 ; Hajer Sports Club, Hajer, Saudi Arabia 1987-1997 ; National Epee Fencing Coach, Egyptian Fencing Federation 1984-1987 ; Alexandria Fencing Club, Alexandria, Egypt 1980-1984 ; Personal Fencing Accomplishments: Competitive fencer for more than 14 years 1969 1983 ;1st Place in Senior Egypt National Epee Championship, 1978.; Member of the Egyptian National Epee team, since 1973.
MAREK STEPIEN (Assistant coach at University of Notre Dame)
Represented Poland in Barcelona Olympic 1992. Individual Polish Champion in fencing 1989, 1990. Ranked 1st place on the qualification list for Poland 1990, 1992. Participated in the World Fencing Championships in Denver 1989, Lyon 1990 and Athens 1994. Took part in the World Cup in Germany, Switzerland, France, Holland, Italy, Hungary and England. Represented Poland in the Modern Pentathlon at the World Championships in Romania and qualified for the Seoul Olympics at this event. Professor British Academy of Fencing and British Fencing Association 1998 to date.
- 2004 Dulwich College: Coaches fencing in the department of Physical Education.
- 1998 City of London School for Boys, London
- 1998,2004 Cambridge University, England: Coached the University team in all three weapons. Covering technical aspects, tactics, fitness training and psychological preparation. Cambridge University defeated Oxford in the Varsity Challenge 1998/99, 1999/2000 and 2000/01. Men’s team won British University Students Association (BUSA) Fencing Championships 2001. Both men and women’s team won BUSA Championships 2002. Cambridge fencers won places in finals of BUSA individual competitions in 2000 and 2004: resulting in Cambridge having the highest number of fencers in the final eight of any university in the UK.
- 1998 Haverstock Fencing Club, England: Responsible for the fitness and flexibility training as well as providing individual coaching in all disciplines of fencing - foil, epee and sabre - at all levels. Recently designed and implemented a certificate for junior fencers on completion of the introductory course in fencing.
JOSH WEBB
Josh Webb is finishing his 5th year as assistant coach to Ron Miller at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He was a four year starter and 3 year captain while fencing at UNC. Josh has been on staff for both the Brandeis Camp and the U Penn camp the last 3 years.
JIM MURRAY
James Murray, Fencing Master since 1976, is in his 28th season as a college coach and 7th year at Johns Hopkins. Murray trained as a Fencing Master at The American Fencing Academy, a two year program based at Cornell and was also an exchange student at Paris' L' Institute National de Sport, the French school for Fencing Masters.
Under Murray's guidance, the Blue Jay women have won three of the last four Army Trophies as runners-up at the NIWFA (National Intercollegiate Women's Fencing Association) Championships . Murray has twice been honored as the MACFA (Middle Atlantic Fencing Conference) Coach of the Year (1982, 1992) while the coach at Haverford College (1981-2001)
Murray has also coached at The National Sports Festival, assisted the US Team on international trips and served on several NCAA Regional Committees. He has been involved in countless training camps, clinics and Fencing Master examination boards in his coaching career.
Murray also coached at Salle Santelli ('78-81) in New York City and assisted the legendary Maestro Lajos Csiszar at Salle Csiszar during his twenty years in Philadelph
Samir Mahmoud
Coach of foil and epee at Atlantic Fencing Club and Ranney School in New Jersey; Four times National Epee Champion of Egypt, member of Egyptian National Team 1972 - 1982; international competitor and finalist in World Cup competition; has trained young fencers from Unclassified to "A" .
Nitai Kfir
Coaches at Fencers Club of New York and many camps; All-American at St. John's University; twice National Champion of Israel, Israel National Foil Team. Ninth in Junior World Championship; Sixth in Senior World Championship.
Nitai is in his second year of coaching at the Junior Fencing Camp at Penn.
Shlumi Eyal
National foil coach of Israel. Olympic and world competitor for many years. Shlumi is back for his second year with us.
