At age 23, New York City native Cliff Bayer was already considered among the best Americans ever in fencing, a sport in which success has long been restricted to European nations. "My main motivation has been the belief that fencing is a European-dominated sport, that an American can't compete," he says.
Carl Borack occupies a unique place in the U.S. fencing history. A
former national champion in men’s foil (the youngest winner at that
time), he was also a medallist in men’s epee and a saber finalist as
well. In 1971, he accomplished the rare feat of making the finals of
the National Championships in all three weapons in the same year. He
was a two- time Pan Epee Gold Medal Winner (Epee Team ’67 & Foil
Team “71) and was a U.S. Olympic Team member in 1972. He has been a
significant voice and influence in our sport over a period 30 years and
even as a junior fencer had an impact on the “AFLA” by pioneering the
way for future “official” Jr. World Teams. He has worn numerous hats
and provided many different functions to our teams, our federation, the
USOC, and the FIE.
Michel Mamlouk was twice President of the USFA, 1982-1984, and 1992-1994. During his first term he was instrumental in the USFA accepting the offer of the USOC of free space at the newly established USOC complex in Colorado Springs for its first permanent National office and then saw to the hiring of its first office administrator, Anne Whiting, and its first Executive Director - Carla- Mae Richards. During his second term, Michel initiated international performance based award programs to encourage and assist athletes who were on the brink of international success. Michel firmly believed that American fencing could compete at the same level at the then European-dominated international competitions and did all he could to help the USA become dominant.
Era 1 (early American fencing –1935) The Standard Era of Fencing
Hippolyte Nicholas
Captain Hippolyte Nicolas was the first fencing coach at the Fencers’ Club in New York City. He came to America (from Prussia) in 1876. He was as famous for the meals he prepared after the nightly fencing festivities, as he was for his fencing training. No man was his equal in preparing a novice to hold his own against experienced fencers. He had a system to quickly teach his students the basics of the sport. The Captain WAS the Fencers Club. His reputation that has remained in print to this day is that of a highly motivated and inspiringly passionate man who while spending little time on the technical points of fencing execution, trained very aggressive competitors. He was also a chef. When the New York Fencers Club opened its doors in 1883, Charles De Kay hired Captain Nicholas and after each night’s practice, the Captain would set out a feast for all of the fencers to devour and this helped to develop a comraderie that held the club together for generations. “The man who has not eaten of the pea salad of Capt. Nicholas has not yet lived. He does not know his own palate. There is more in heaven and earth and Capt. Nicholas’s salad bowl than are dreamed of in his philosophy. Let every man who can go to the Authors’ Club, eat of the salad of Nicholas, and be blessed thenceforth forevermore. The beer is the sauce for the salad. The one is the complement of the other. No man has realized beer until he has experienced it in company with the salad of Nicholas.” May 31, 1885
Winning his first national epee title in 1988, and at the time being
the youngest ever to do so, Jon Normile has also added two more
national titles (1991, 1997), an Olympic team (1992), 6 World
Championship teams
(1989, 1990, 1991, 1994, 1998, 1999), a World Cup bronze medal (1999),
a Pan-American silver medal (1991) eleven (11) U.S. National Epee team
titles with the New York Athletic Club from 1986-2003
and two NCAA individual epee titles (1988, 1989) to his tally. Jon has
won USFA circuit events and has been internationally ranked in each of
the past three decades.
A few days after arriving in NYC from Moscow, Semyon (now Simon) was walking around the city and decided to see Grand Central Station. He saw a woman with a fencing bag and decided to approach her. She was on her way to the Fencers’ Club. He went with her and the rest is history. Simon Pinkhasov became the Coach of New York Fencers Club from 1977-1997.
During those years he was selected as Coach of 1983 & 1987 Pan American Teams, 1984 Olympic Team, and the 1981 & 1985 Maccabiah Team. His NY Fencers’ Club foil stars won 10 US National Men’s Foil Team Championships, 6 US National Women’s Foil Team Championships, and he individually coached the following greats: Michael McCahey, Peter Lewison, Sharon Monplaisir, Mike McCahey, John Nonna, Jeff Bukantz, Jack Tichacek, Michelle Verhave, William Mindel, Lisa Piazza, Wilma Friedman, Eric Rosenberg, Neal Cohen, Nestor Rosario, Philippe Bennett, Nathaniel Cohen, Jerome Demarque, John Troiano, Lew Siegel, Ayo Griffin
William Reith has served for the last 40 years on the Northern Ohio Division
Executive Committee, offices include: Vice Chairman-1967, Chairman or
Armorer-1968 to present. William has been competing in the USFA/AFLA for over 42
years, at every level, including World Championship Teams, Veterans World
Championships, World Fencing Masters Championships, and Pan American
Games.(coming soon)
Marty Schneider (All-American Saber fencer from NYU in the ‘50’s) has devoted the past 50 years to coaching fencing at Riverdale Country School in the Bronx. Upon graduation from NYU, he became the assistant fencing coach at Columbia University before starting at Riverdale 2 years later. He has had a profound effect on the sport by personally introducing thousands of children to the sport, teaching them the skills and coaching them to victory. An astounding number of them have distinguished records from USFA and NCAA events. They have become college varsity captains, All-Ivy, All- American, NCAA champions, members of the USFA World Championship Team, and the US Olympic Team. While coaching at Riverdale, Marty also lead the William Taft HS team to 5 PSAL titles and he also coached at Theodore Roosevelt HS for 15 years!
Since 1956, Marty has given the start and the inspiration to many of the nation’s top ranked fencers. The list of success stories is over 50 years long but several of Marty’s more recent students include Tim Morehouse (started fencing with Marty in the 7th grade) and Tim Hageman (started in 7th grade). Marty is the consummate coach whose impact goes way beyond the technical, an inspirational leader, a guide and a mentor who personifies dignity, honesty, integrity, good sportsmanship and fair play.
Sewall "Skip" Shurtz was born in Texas and raised in Hollywood,
California during the Depression. He began fencing at the age of 5
under the guidance of the legendary Ralph Faulkner (two time Olympian,
legendary coach). He was able to receive lessons in return for his
grandmother’s janitorial work at the Falcon studios. Skip became the
son that Ralph Faulkner never had.
Skip began competing and winning at the age of 14 and continued on to
become both the US National champion of foil (1956) and the US National
champion of epee (1954), but also a 1956 Olympian where he placed in
the top 10 in the world. Skip is the only American man alive today who
was the U.S. national fencing champion in 2 different weapons.
Stull, 47, is a 3-time Olympian, and competed in Modern Pentathlon in 1984, 1988
and 1992, winning a silver medal as part of the 1984 U.S. Pentathlon team.
Pentathlon events include swimming, running, shooting, epee fencing and
horseback riding.
Jeff Wolfe, a longtime coach at Brentwood High School, fenced at New York University. After graduating he became a teacher at Brentwood High School where he began both a Boys' Team and a Girls' Team.
Nominees
