CHARLOTTE – The Notre Dame fencing program won four Atlantic Coast Conference 2026 Fencing Awards, the conference announced Tuesday. The Fighting Irish finished as both the men’s and women’s NCAA champions this season, making it 16 all-time in program history.
On the women’s side, Notre Dame’s Eszter Muhari (epee) and Magda Skarbonkiewicz (sabre) earned the league’s Fencer of the Year Honors. It’s the second-straight season the Irish duo has won the award. The accolade marked the third time Muhari has won ACC Women’s Epee Fencer of the Year (2023, 2025, 2026), only missing 2024 due to training for the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
Ahmed Hesham secured the ACC Men’s Sabre Fencer of the Year after winning both ACCs and NCAAs in his sophomore campaign. Hesham adds the conference accolade to his resume that includes being named an All-American a season ago.
Irish head coach Gia Kvaratskhelia swept the coaching awards for a second consecutive season, taking home ACC Women’s Coach of the Year and ACC Men’s Coach of the Year honors. The decorated program leader has now won 17 ACC Coach of the Year honors, nine from the men’s side and eight from the women’s side. In addition to both national titles, Notre Dame also won the women’s ACC Championship, making it ten women’s titles in the last 12 years.
2026 ACC Fencers of the Year
Men’s Epee: Youssef Shamel, Fr., North Carolina
Men’s Foil: Peter Bruk, So., North Carolina
Men’s Sabre: Ahmed Hesham, So., Notre Dame
Women’s Epee: Eszter Muhari, Sr., Notre Dame
Women’s Foil: Arianna Cao, Jr., Stanford
Women’s Sabre: Magda Skarbonkiewicz, So., Notre Dame
2026 Men’s Coach of the Year: Gia Kvaratskhelia, Notre Dame
2026 Women’s Coach of the Year: Gia Kvaratskhelia, Notre Dame
