USA Fencing

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — The USA Fencing community is eagerly awaiting the 2023 Hall of Fame Dinner and Induction Ceremony, set for July 5 during the 2023 USA Fencing National Championships & July Challenge (Summer Nationals) in Phoenix. 

Members and supporters won’t want to miss this momentous event, which will celebrate the accomplishments and contributions of the USA Fencing Hall of Fame Class of 2023. These individuals, voted into the Hall by USA Fencing members last year (or, in the case of Sam Cheris, inducted via special vote of the USA Fencing Board of Directors), represent some of the proudest moments in our sport’s rich history.

Two members of the Class of 2023 were inducted at last year’s ceremony:

• Ron Miller, who spent more than 50 years as head fencing coach at the University of North Carolina

• Branimir Zivkovic, a fencing innovator who has been inventing and producing equipment since 1974.

That means the remaining eight inductees will be recognized at this year’s event. Each honoree will be recognized with a speech detailing their remarkable achievements, followed by the opportunity for them or their family representatives to accept the accolade and share a few words.

The inductees, in alphabetical order, are:

• Sam Cheris, former USA Fencing president and current treasurer whose contributions to fencing over more than 60 years included the introduction of age group fencing, the debut of the junior/cadet national circuit, and the development of an objective points system for team selection and tournament seeding.

• Ed Donofrio, 1976 Olympian, two-time national champion and five-time national championship finalist.

• Kamara James, 2004 Olympian and a consistently successful epee fencer. James, who died in 2014, was a junior world championship medalist, a grand prix medalist and the winner of multiple national titles. 

• Sean McClain, one of just three fencers ever to win Division I national titles in both foil (2001) and epee (1994).

• John Moreau, two-time Olympian (1984 and 1988) who went on to win the 2003 Division I epee individual national championship at age 52, becoming the oldest fencer to win a Division I title.

• Chris O’Loughlin, 1992 Olympian who has been an individual national champion at the junior, NCAA, senior and veteran levels.

• Charlotte Remenyik, who served as the women’s fencing coach at Northwestern before joining the coaching staff at Ohio State. She made OSU history by becoming the first woman to coach a men’s varsity team. Remenyik, who died in 2011, coached 16 All-Americans. 

• Hanna Thompson, member of the women’s foil team that won a silver medal at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing and a six-time member of the Senior World Team.

In addition to the induction ceremony, attendees will enjoy a delicious dinner and the chance to participate in a “wine pull” fundraiser to benefit the U.S. Fencing Foundation.

Wines for the wine pull will be provided by USA Fencing’s new wine partner, which will be revealed at the Fencing Foundation Fete on May 4 and to the general membership shortly after. 

The evening begins at 6 p.m. with a reception, followed by a seated dinner and the induction ceremony. It all takes place at the Renaissance Phoenix, located a block from the site of Summer Nationals (the Phoenix Convention Center). 

What: USA Fencing Class of 2023 Hall of Fame Dinner and Induction Ceremony

When: 6 to 10 p.m. local time on Wednesday, July 5, 2023

Where: Renaissance Phoenix Downtown Hotel — South Ballroom, located at 100 N. 1st Street, Phoenix AZ 85004.

Tickets: Available here