Winter Camp News: Columbia Head Coach Michael Aufrichtig to Guest Coach and Host College Info Session

Columbia Head Coach is coming to TMFC’s Elite Winter Saber Camp

Exciting News!

As part of our ongoing commitment to provide our club members with top-tier resources and insights, we’re thrilled to announce that Columbia University’s Head Coach, Michael Aufrichtig, will be guest coaching and holding a college-info session on Saturday, Dec. 28, at the TMFC Elite Winter Saber Camp in Port Chester!

The special college-info session will take place from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm during the final hour of the Winter Elite Saber camp on Dec. 28, for all camp attendees and their parents. Additionally, this session will be open to all foil winter clinic attendees and their parents on that day.

To Register For the Camp: (CLICK HERE) (The next registration deadline is Nov. 15)
(We will email all attendees of the saber and foil camp an RSVP form the college info session in a few weeks)

For the saber Elite Camp day, Coach Aufrichtig will lead sessions focused on the tactics and strategies utilized by Columbia’s fencing team. He’ll share insights into preparing for and executing college meets, as well as provide an inside look at the practice routines and experiences of NCAA athletes.

During his college info session, Coach Aufrichtig will cover the following topics relevant to the NCAA college recruitment process:

1. Understanding the NCAA Recruitment Process: Key steps to navigating college recruitment and how to stand out.

2. What Columbia Looks for in Student-Athletes: Insights into the attributes and qualities Columbia values in its recruits.

3. Balancing Academics and Athletics: Tips on managing the rigorous demands of both academics and collegiate-level fencing.

4. Preparing for College Meets and Competitions: A look at how top collegiate teams train and prepare for high-stakes competition.

5. Life as an NCAA Athlete: The day-to-day experience, commitment, and rewards of being a student-athlete at Columbia.

He will also be available to answer questions from students and parents about college fencing, Columbia’s program, and the broader recruitment landscape.

To register for the Winter Elite Saber Camp, please visit: TMFC Elite Fencing Camps.

We hope you’ll join us for this unique opportunity to learn from one of the top coaches in NCAA fencing!

Coach Michael Aufrichtig Bio

About Michael Aufrichtig:
As one of the most knowledgeable and well-connected figures in fencing, in New York City and across the nation, Michael Aufrichtig is in his 14th year as the head men’s and women’s fencing coach at Columbia University.
 
After being named to his current position on June 28, 2011, Aufichtig has built Columbia Fencing into a national power. Since 2011, Aufrichtig has guided Columbia Fencing to three national team championships (2015, 2016, 2019), 14 total Ivy League team titles, including eight men’s titles and six women’s titles, and countless No. 1 national rankings on both the men’s and women’s sides. In addition, the Lions have claimed three NCAA fencing titles since 2015 and have finished no lower than third place at the NCAA Fencing championships since the 2014-15 season. On an individual scale, seven fencers have claimed individual national championships, 88 have earned All-America honors, 136 fencers out of a possible 156 spots have qualified for the NCAA Championships, seven have won Ivy League titles, and 102 earned All-Ivy League honorees.
 
This unprecedented success took Aufrichtig only four years to achieve as he guided Columbia Fencing to its first NCAA Championship in 22 years as the Lions claimed the 2015 team title. Then, the Lions won the NCAA title again in 2016, marking the first time the program attained back-to-back national championships since 1992 and 1993. Aufrichtig’s third national championship came three years later as the Lions turned in a dominant performance in 2019.
 
Aufrichtig has also restored Columbia’s dominance in Ivy League fencing. He has led the men’s team to six consecutive from 2014-19), while the women’s squad has claimed five championships including back-to-back titles in 2015 and 2016 and then three straight from 2018-20. The 2018-19 season marked the first time both the men's and women's squads won outright Ivy League Round Robin titles together since 2008.
 
Aufrichtig holds a career record of 566-120-1 (.825 winning percentage) in total dual fencing matches at Columbia. That mark currently ranks second among all-time fencing coaches at Columbia.
 
A four-time Ivy League Coach of the Year honoree (three-time women, one-time men) and recipient of the 2016 USA Fencing Coaches Association Varsity Coach of the Year award, Aufrichtig has also overseen the development and renovation of Columbia’s Fencing Room at Dodge Fitness Center. With the installation of first-of-its-kind shock-absorbent floors in October 2018, Columbia fencers enjoy a state-of-the-art fencing facility.
 
For the last 15 years, Aufrichtig has served as the Chairman of the New York Athletic Club Fencing program. As the Director of the NYAC Fencing Program, one of the most notable fencing organizations in the world, Aufrichtig manages the coaching staff, budgets, practice times, travel arrangements, and recruiting of the 55 athletes that compete with NYAC Fencing. He founded the NYAC Men's Epee High School Invitational in 2001, the strongest men's epee high school competition in the United States. He also served as the 2009 Women's Epee coach at the World Championships in Antalya, Turkey.
 
READ MORE ON THE COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY WEBSITE (CLICK HERE).