In the news

News & Press

From Olympic podiums to community milestones, our fencers and our club keep making headlines.

On the world stage

Olympic & World medals

Olympics · Foil

Olympic gold for a fencer who trained at NJFA

Jackie Dubrovich — who trained at NJFA in Maplewood — won gold in women's team foil at the Paris 2024 Olympics, Team USA's first-ever Olympic fencing team gold. NJFA hosted a community send-off before the Games.

Read on Village Green
Olympics · Foil

Maplewood celebrates its Olympic gold medalist

The town threw its support behind Dubrovich after Paris 2024 — coverage that highlights her training home at the New Jersey Fencing Alliance.

Read on Village Green
Olympics · Foil

Gold medalist honored at NJFA

The New Jersey Fencing Alliance held a celebration recognizing Maplewood's own Jackie Dubrovich after her Olympic team foil gold.

Read on Essex News Daily
World Championships · Foil

SOMA fencers on the silver-medal women's foil team at Worlds

South Orange & Maplewood athletes made up half of the silver-medal-winning U.S. women's foil team at the World Championships.

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Rising stars

Our fencers on the rise

Youth · Épée

NJFA's Alex Luo reaches #1 in the US & Canada

An 11-year-old NJFA fencer climbed to the top Youth-12 épée ranking in the US and Canada — coached at the club by Frank Mustilli and Alejandra Terán.

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College · Sabre

Mya Spears signs with Temple University

NJFA sabreur Mya Spears signed her letter of intent to fence NCAA Division I at Temple — and competes internationally for Team Jamaica.

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International · Sabre

Spears qualifies for the 2026 CAC Games

Maplewood-trained Spears earned an individual women's sabre berth for the 2026 Central American & Caribbean Games representing Jamaica.

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Junior Worlds · Foil

Zander Rhodes, Junior World Champion

A standout of the Maplewood / Columbia High School fencing pipeline, Rhodes won individual gold at the 2023 Junior Women's Foil World Championships.

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Our coaches compete too

Coaches on the podium

Pan Am Games · Sabre

Coach Andrew Doddo wins Pan Am Games gold

NJFA sabre coach Andrew Doddo captured individual men's sabre gold at the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games.

Read on USA Fencing
Olympics · Sabre

Coach Monica Aksamit's Olympic bronze

NJFA sabre coach Monica Aksamit helped the U.S. women's sabre team to bronze at the Rio 2016 Olympics — a former Penn State NCAA champion.

Read on Penn State
Club & community

Around the club

Community

A new Maplewood home — with some divine intervention

When rising rent threatened the club, the community rallied to keep fencing in Maplewood, and NJFA reopened on Hilton Avenue.

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Community

A coaching legacy: Frank Mustilli retires from CHS

After 37+ years and dozens of state titles, NJFA founder Frank Mustilli stepped down as Columbia High School's head fencing coach.

Read on Village Green
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Our fencers medal at NACs, ROCs, and regional events all season long. Won a medal, signed with a college team, or have a story to share? Tell us and we may feature it here.

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Headlines link to original coverage from The Village Green, Essex News Daily, USA Fencing, and Penn State.

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