Fencing Earns Ivy League Coaching Staff of the Year
2/12/2026 11:00:00 AM | Fencing
Led by head coach Michael Aufrichtig, the Lions coaching staff was honored after winning the Ivy League Men’s & Women’s Championships
PRINCETON, N.J. — Columbia fencing took Ivy League Coaching Staff of the Year honors on the men's and women's sides after helping the programs earn a pair of Ivy League Championships over the weekend.
The Lions are led by head coach Michael Aufrichtig, who is in his 15th year with Columbia and has won 16 combined Ivy League Championships (seven women, nine men) during his tenure. Seoung Woo Lee, Gidon Retzkin, Sara Vicenzin, Guilermo Madrigal Sardinas and Wesley McKinney round out the staff.
Columbia is ranked No. 1 in both midseason USFCA Coaches Polls. The women boast a 25-1 record in dual matches this season, and the men are 21-3. Both squads earned their second Ivy League titles in three years, and the outright crown was the first for the women since 2020.
Additionally, the conference announced the 2026 Academic All-Ivy League recipients. The Lions' honorees included junior Zeyad Nofal, who earned first-team All-Ivy League honors and is a Mechanical Engineering major. Senior Madison Four-Garcia, a political science major, has seen action in four meets this season and competed at the Round Robins last weekend.
Columbia returns to action Wednesday, February 25, at the George Kolombatovich Historical Meet, hosted by NYU, facing Sacred Heart, Vassar and the Violets.
Follow The Lions
For the latest on Columbia's fencing programs, follow @CULionsFencing on X, Instagram and the web at GoColumbiaLions.com.
The Lions are led by head coach Michael Aufrichtig, who is in his 15th year with Columbia and has won 16 combined Ivy League Championships (seven women, nine men) during his tenure. Seoung Woo Lee, Gidon Retzkin, Sara Vicenzin, Guilermo Madrigal Sardinas and Wesley McKinney round out the staff.
Columbia is ranked No. 1 in both midseason USFCA Coaches Polls. The women boast a 25-1 record in dual matches this season, and the men are 21-3. Both squads earned their second Ivy League titles in three years, and the outright crown was the first for the women since 2020.
Additionally, the conference announced the 2026 Academic All-Ivy League recipients. The Lions' honorees included junior Zeyad Nofal, who earned first-team All-Ivy League honors and is a Mechanical Engineering major. Senior Madison Four-Garcia, a political science major, has seen action in four meets this season and competed at the Round Robins last weekend.
Columbia returns to action Wednesday, February 25, at the George Kolombatovich Historical Meet, hosted by NYU, facing Sacred Heart, Vassar and the Violets.
Follow The Lions
For the latest on Columbia's fencing programs, follow @CULionsFencing on X, Instagram and the web at GoColumbiaLions.com.
Players Mentioned
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