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Micahnik Retirement Ends 35-Year Era at Penn

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Longtime University of Pennsylvania fencing head coach Dave Micahnik recently announced his retirement, ending one of the more noteworthy coaching eras in the history of collegiate fencing. Micahnik had been the coach at his alma mater for 35 years, spanning parts of four decades, with the Quakers amassing numerous team and individual accomplishments during that span.

Dave Micahnik  (Penn)

(Note: an overview highlighting the Micahnik era at Penn is coming soon to the CF360 blog – it will recap some of the program's top teams and fencers over the past 35 years.)

 

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Ron Miller (North Carolina)


Only three current college coaches – North Carolina's Ron Miller (42 years), Yale's Henry Harutunian (40) and Temple's Nikki Franke (37; women's team)   – have led the varsity fencing programs at their current school for longer than Micahnik's 35-year run. Four other have coached at their current school for 30-plus years: Linda Vollkommer-Lynch (35; Steven Tech women), George Kolombatovich (31; Columbia) and Laurie Schiller (31; Northwestern women). There also are four other current coaches above the

May 5, 2009 8:13 AM

Decade Dominators: NCAA Four-Time Medal-Round Participants

CollegeFencing360.com is completing research for a tribute story to Dave Micahnik, who recently announced his retirement following 35 years as the head fencing coach at the University of Pennsylvania. Based on CF360's preliminary research, it appears that only two current coaches – North Carolina's Ron Miller (42 years) and Yale's Henry Harutunian (40) – have been directing the same NCAA varsity men's fencing program longer than Micahnik (Nikki Franke just completed her 37th season as head coach of the Temple women's fencing team).


Penn produced numerous elite fencers during the Micahnik era, including recent foilist Ron Berkowsky – one of only eight fencers nationwide to be a four-year, first-team All-American (top-4/medal round) during the current decade. Berkowsky was the NCAA runner-up in 2007 and '08, after placing fourth in 2005 and third in '06. The other seven on that exclusive list of four-time NCAA medal-round fencers include: St. John's men's epeeist Alex Roytblatt ('98-'01) and sabreist Ivan Lee (2000-03); Penn State women's epeeist Stephanie Eim ('99-'02) and men's foilist Non Panchan ('01-'04); Notre Dame women's foilist Alicja Kryczalo ('02-'05), Wayne State women's epeeist Anna Garina ('04-'07) and Columbia women's sabreist Emily Jacobson ('05-'08).

May 1, 2009 8:37 AM

    editor@collegefencing360.com