Eli Dershwitz is the National Champion for Division I Saber Fencing

Charlotte, NC (April 23, 2022) — Tim Morehouse Fencing Club fencer Eli Dershwitz is the national champion for Division I Men’s Saber.

This is the second time this two-time Olympian has earned this title. He was the youngest fencer to earn the Division I title in 2014. 

Facing off against 111 of the best fencers in the US at the Division I Championship and April North American Cup, Dershwitz was third after the initial pool round. In direct elimination rounds, he won 15-5, 15-7, 15-4, 15-7, 15-14 against fellow Olympian Khalil Thompson, to face down Ji Cody Walter 15-8 in the finals.

“It feels great,” Dershwitz said. “It’s been a while since I’ve been consistently doing competitions on the US circuit. Seeing my club mates and teammates, my friends, referees, and parents in this community all day, it’s been great.” He added: “I’m happy the hard work’s paying off and I came out with the gold.” 

Dershwitz trains with Tim Morehouse, founder of Tim Morehouse Fencing Club and Olympic silver medalist. He coaches at Harvard, his alma mater, and leads camps and clinics at Tim Morehouse Fencing Club throughout the season. This veteran of the Tokyo and Rio de Janeiro Olympic games is training for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

“This is the first Division I National Champion win for the Tim Morehouse Fencing Club,” Morehouse said. “Eli works hard, but more importantly, works smart so that he has the ability and reserves to go all the way. We couldn’t be more proud of him today.”

Dershwitz said: “I’m trying to win matches without grinding things out. I think did a very good job of managing my emotions today, making sure I was moving well and fencing well.”

A Boston native, Dershwitz is currently ranked number two in the world and was an NCAA Champion while at Harvard. Next up for this saber fencer are World Cup events in Madrid and Padua, the Pan-American Games in Paraguay and then the Senior World Championships in Cairo in July.

About Tim Morehouse Fencing Club

Tim Morehouse Fencing Club (TMFC) was founded by Olympic silver medalist Tim Morehouse. The club provides training to athletes in New York City (since 2015), Westchester (since 2017), and Connecticut (since 2021) in foil, épée, and saber. TMFC was ranked the number one club in the country for High School All Americans 2020-2021 and was ranked the top Youth Fencing Club in the country for the past two years based on the total number of medals won.