UC San Diego announced on March 22 that Nurzhan Abzhanov and Sunny Sharma were named Honorable Mention All-Americans at the Men’s National Collegiate Fencing Championships in South Bend, Indiana. Both athletes competed in the epee category, with Sharma finishing ninth to close out his collegiate career and Abzhanov placing twelfth as a freshman.
The recognition brings UC San Diego’s total to three All-American fencers this season, joining Katherine Kim who earned Honorable Mention in the women’s event. This marks only the fourth time in program history that multiple Tritons have received All-America honors in a single season, tying for the second-most ever.
This year’s championships featured separate team titles for men and women for the first time. The women’s team placed sixteenth while the men’s team finished seventeenth overall. Each individual fencer’s results contributed points toward their respective team totals.
Head coach Juan Ignacio Calderon said, “This NCAA Championship result is truly special for our program. It marks only the fourth time in our history that we have multiple All-Americans, and for the first time ever, we achieved it with two athletes in the same category, men’s epee. That speaks volumes about the level we are reaching. I am incredibly proud of all four of our qualifiers. They fought with determination, supported each other every step of the way and brought an incredibly positive energy that proved to be the difference at the highest level of our sport. At a competition as demanding as the NCAA Championship, that unity and belief are what allow athletes not just to compete, but to perform.”
Abzhanov reflected on his achievement by saying, “It feels great to be among the best in the nation, and I really value the opportunity to fence with these guys…I had my ups and downs during the year, but ultimately I was able to find my fencing. I am proud of finishing my freshman year like this and representing UC San Diego at the national stage.” Sharma added: “It feels amazing to be an All-American…This result is a testament to how much work I have put in every year…I also want to extend my gratitude…to my family for being the reason I was able to start fencing and pursue it all my life.”
