UNC Tar Heels Fencing

Boris Muga is a student-athlete and fencer specializing in Epee/Right Hand, currently a Junior at the University of North Carolina (UNC). He is 6'3" and hails from San Antonio, Texas. The UNC men's fencing team achieved a major victory on February 25, 2024, securing its first ACC Men's Fencing Championship since 1980. The program demonstrated significant depth, placing ten of its athletes in the 2026 All-Region teams. Furthermore, eight fencers from the program finished in the top ten at the regional competition. Muga is also a Student-Athlete Leadership Program Member at UNC, which provides a structured pathway for professional development.

Brayden Gyure is a Junior fencer for the University of North Carolina (UNC), specializing in Epee with his right hand. He is a student-athlete belonging to the UNC class of 2027, and stands 5-9" tall. He is originally from Frisco, Texas, where he attended Reedy High School. In a notable competition, he achieved a ranking of 97, securing both a Seed 2 and a Place 2 out of 38 competitors. His team, the UNC Men's Fencing team, closed the regular season with a dominant 5-0 record at the Beguinet Classic on February 7, 2026. Furthermore, the UNC Fencing team earned four at-large bids for the 2025 NCAA Championships, which were held from March 20-23.

Maximo Zafft is currently a junior student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is pursuing a degree in Advertising within the Hussman School of Journalism and Media and Communication. Athletically, he is a high-level fencer specializing in Epee/Right Hand. He participates with the UNC Tar Heels Fencing Program at the NCAA D1 level. His academic and athletic pursuits are noted for their synergy, which creates unique post-collegiate career paths. His background includes attending Concord Carlisle High School. His competitive record includes results recorded on October 27, 2024.

Sebastian Glennon is a freshman fencer for the University of North Carolina (UNC) Tar Heels, specializing in Men's Epee. He is noted as being from Huntersville, N.C., and attended William Amos Hough High School, graduating in the Class of 2025. His athletic background is diverse, encompassing four years of cross country, three years of golf, and four years as a member of the basketball team. Prior to his collegiate career, he was selected and trained with Team USA. During a competition at the USA Fencing Summer Nationals Div1a event in Milwaukee, he achieved a 6th place finish out of 174 fencers. He was officially welcomed by the UNC fencing program on November 3, 2025.

Youssef Shamel is a prominent fencer associated with the University of North Carolina (UNC). He achieved international success by winning the gold medal at the Junior and Cadet World Fencing Championships held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. At the collegiate level, he won the individual epee national championship on March 22. This victory was notable as it made him the first Tar Heel to win an individual fencing championship at UNC in 43 years. Furthermore, he earned ACC Men's Fencer of the Week after posting a 12-1 record at the Beguinet Classic. Academically, Shamel is highly involved in research, having co-authored a 2024 study on pulp capping materials. He is also participating in a 2025 systematic review concerning the diagnostic accuracy of MRI in placenta accreta spectrum. His career exemplifies the UNC Model for Elite Athletes, which integrates rigorous academic research alongside peak physical performance.

Alexander Sichitiu is a Junior student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he is pursuing a degree in Information Technology. He is also an elite fencer specializing in Foil/Left Hand, and stands 5-9 inches tall. His athletic career includes participation in events such as the Miller Invitational. The UNC Men's Fencing team achieved a 6-0 undefeated record on Senior Day, February 9, 2025. The team was scheduled to compete in the NCAA regional championships on March 8, 2025, in Madison, N.J. Furthermore, his academic history includes research published in 2020 and 2015.

Cristian Porras is an MD/PhD dual degree candidate at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. His scientific research includes publishing work on Polygenic risk scores (PRSs) in PLoS in 2023. He also studied the plasticity of human microglia and brain perivascular macrophages in aging and Alzheimer's disease, documented in medRxiv in 2024. Furthermore, he contributed to study design components in population genetics, referenced in proceedings from 2025. Porras is also an accomplished athlete, serving as a Sophomore in the UNC Fencing Program. He achieved the Junior Foil World Cup silver medal in Costa Rica. Additionally, he is an artist, having presented his 'Cotidiano Entorno' exhibition in Cartago on July 30, 2024.

Ivan Radoslavov is a Senior Director and Head of Data Architecture and Analytics at Eldridge Capital Management. He previously served in a Senior Vice capacity at the firm. His professional education was obtained from the Technical University of Sofia. Athletically, he is associated with the University of North Carolina Athletics Fencing program. For the 2025-26 roster, he was listed as a Freshman foil. His recorded height in fencing is 6-1, and his hometown is Jersey City, N.J.

Peter Bruk is a collegiate fencer for the University of North Carolina (UNC), where he is currently a Sophomore and stands 6'1". He attended Saint Peter's Prep in Hoboken, N.J. Bruk achieved significant international success representing Team USA, notably securing a dominant 8-1 victory against 6th-ranked France at the Team World Championship. In February 2026, he and his partner, Shamel, won individual ACC Championships in Durham, N.C., an achievement marking the first time since 1976 that men's fencing won two individual titles at the Atlantic Coast Conference. Additionally, he placed second at the 2026 NCAA Mid-Atlantic/South Regional in men's foil, earning First Team All-Region honors. These recent accolades have provided significant positive publicity for both him and the UNC Fencing Program.

Yanni Tsimiklis is a fencer born in 2006. He is currently furthering his academic and athletic career at the University of North Carolina (UNC) Chapel Hill, where he is studying Biology (Pre-Med). His athletic achievements include being named a Cadet Greek National Champion during the 2022-23 season. Furthermore, he earned a Bronze Medal at the 2024 Junior World Cup in Bogota. He is listed as a member of the Greek Junior and Senior National Fencing Team. His competitive history includes a result on July 1, 2025, at the National Championships and July Challenge (Summer Nationals), where he placed 132 out of 198 in Div I Men's Foil. The context notes that his dual commitment to elite fencing and a rigorous Pre-Med Biology curriculum presents a significant risk of academic-athletic burnout.

Aiden Song is a fencer associated with the UNC Tar Heels Fencing Program. He is noted as being on the 2025-26 roster for the program. His role is analyzed as a critical anchor for the UNC Tar Heels Fencing team. The team's overall success in the 2025-26 season is critically dependent on his performance and leadership. An analysis identified a specific risk of 'Anchor Performance Decline' for the 2025-26 season. This risk suggests that failure to meet high expectations could significantly jeopardize the team's competitive standing. Conversely, his status also provides a strategic opportunity to build positive team momentum and increase media attention for the UNC Tar Heels Fencing Program.

Connor Lee was born on August 28, 2003, in Kirkstall, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, UK. He has cultivated a diverse professional identity spanning acting, writing, and content creation. His acting credits include roles in *Emmerdale Farm* in 1972 and *Kinda Off* in 2014. He is a prominent content creator on TikTok, where his connorlee account has amassed over 132 million likes and 2.7 million followers. Professionally, he has been associated with Anthrogen (YC S24) and attended Columbia University. Additionally, he maintains an established link to the UNC Tar Heels Fencing Program, which provides a clear pathway for securing athletic endorsements.

Connor Williams was born on May 12, 1997, in Coppell, TX. He is an American former professional football player who played center in the NFL for teams including the Dallas Cowboys, Miami Dolphins, and Seattle Seahawks. He abruptly retired from the NFL during the 2024 season due to personal reasons. Beyond his athletic career, Williams has established himself as an author, historian, and professor. He has taught at institutions including Yale University and Southern Connecticut State University. His academic work discusses critical topics such as racial inequities in maternal and infant health.

Elden Wood is a prominent fencer for the University of North Carolina (UNC) Athletics. He achieved ACC Fencer of the Week honors for three sweeps against Wagner, Haverford, and No. 5 Penn State, during which time he posted a 15-2 record. Academically, he is a Psychology major at UNC Chapel Hill. His athletic success was formally recognized on May 1, 2025, when he was named the ACC Men's Fencing Scholar-Athlete Of The Year. Additionally, he was selected for the 2024-25 Atlantic Coast Conference Men's Fencing Scholar-Athlete of the Year team. Professionally, his experience includes working as an Engineer at Apple and with CareYaya Health Technologies.

Jacob G. Rosenberg was an author and Holocaust survivor born in 1922 in Poland. After the German occupation, he was confined in the Warsaw Ghetto and later sent to Auschwitz, where he remained for about two months. He was liberated in May 1945 and moved to a Displaced Persons camp in Italy, where he married Esther Laufer. The couple emigrated to Australia in 1948, and their daughter, Marcia, was born in Melbourne. Rosenberg initially wrote poetry and prose in Yiddish for journals such as Snow in Spring (1984). To reach a wider audience, he switched his writing to English, producing the acclaimed memoirs East of Time (2005) and Sunrise West (2007). He passed away in Melbourne, Australia, in 2008 at the age of 86.

John Lin possesses a highly diverse professional profile spanning public health, academia, federal policy, and finance. In public health, he conducted systematic analyses of global health trends, such as body-mass index (BMI) and systolic blood pressure, which were published in The Lancet in 2011 and 2012. Academically, he is identified as a Professor in the Department of Atmospheric Sciences at The University of Utah. His advanced studies include being an MD/MSHP Candidate at the University of Pennsylvania and a Harvard MPH student. Professionally, he served as a senior counsel for the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce, advising members on telecommunications, media, and technology policy. He also worked with the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Additionally, his background includes roles in finance, such as Chief Investment Officer of Emerging Markets Value Equities and China Equities at AllianceBernstein.

Logan Gatza is a multi-talented individual recognized for his achievements as a fencer, Eagle Scout, dancer, and actor. He graduated 9th in his class from Crooms Academy of Information Technology in 2022. He is currently a senior at the University of North Carolina, where he is pursuing a double major in Computer Science and Sports Administration. His athletic career includes winning a gold medal in fencing at age 10 in Peru on August 12, 2015. Academically, he has co-authored scientific research published in 2013, 2014, and 2017. His artistic credits include roles in film such as *Liam Builds a Bike* (2016), *A Girl and Her Flower* (2021), and *Clarissa's World Pilot* (2015). He is also noted as a member of the UNC fencer roster for the 2025-26 season.

Nick Baumstein is a senior athlete for the University of North Carolina (UNC) Fencing Program. He is noted to be from Brooklyn, N.Y., and previously attended The Beacon School. Academically, he is pursuing a double major in Journalism and Spanish. Furthermore, he is participating in the NCAA UNC Shuford Program in Entrepreneurship. His height is listed as 6-3. His team achieved a dominant regular season record of 5-0 at the Beguinet Classic on February 7, 2026. This combination of elite athletic training and formal business education suggests a strong framework for post-graduate success.

Nicky Wind is a senior fencer representing the University of North Carolina (UNC). Born in 2004, he is originally from Cos Cob, Connecticut, and attended Hackley School. He is noted to have a height of 6-2. He is confirmed for the 2025-2026 roster, and his athletic profile includes participation in the Junior Olympics & Div 1 event on February 15, 2025. Furthermore, he maintains an active online presence on Instagram under the handle @nicky.wind, which has accumulated over 1.7K followers. The UNC program views him as an 'Anchor,' suggesting his value extends significantly beyond mere athletic performance.

Shekar Jayendra is a senior student athlete and fencer associated with the University of North Carolina (UNC). His athletic career includes participation in the 2024 April NAC, Division I National Championships in Salt Lake City on April 24, 2024. He was also well-represented at the 2024 Junior Olympics and Parafencing in Charlotte, NC, on February 16, 2024. His strong performance across multiple major events, including those in 2023 and 2024, suggests a consistent upward trajectory in his competitive skill level and physical conditioning. He is a current member of the UNC varsity fencing program, competing at national and NCAA tournaments.

Will Joseph is a name associated with multiple distinct professionals, making accurate profiling challenging. One individual is a UK actor whose credits include *Young George Washington* and Netflix's *Black Doves*. Another profile belongs to an English professional rugby union player who plays for Premiership Rugby club Gloucester and made his international debut in July 2022. A third profile identifies a recording artist and pianist, William Joseph, who released an album titled 'Every Single Thing'. Furthermore, the name is linked to a soccer player listed on the 2025 Men's Soccer Roster at Washington and Lee University. Due to these diverse professional backgrounds, any analysis based solely on the name carries a high risk of misattribution.

Anna Temiryaev is a fencer specializing in Epee/Right Hand. She was born on May 24, 2005, and previously attended Hewlett High School on Long Island, N.Y. She is currently a Junior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, representing the UNC Tar Heels Fencing Program. Her competitive history includes achieving podium finishes at events such as the NYFA 10 years, specifically noted on July 31. The UNC program views her as a critical, high-value asset, suggesting a strategic reliance on her competitive output during her junior year. She is also noted to have a height of 5'8".

Elizabeth Zigalo is a freshman fencer for the University of North Carolina (UNC) Athletics, specializing in Epee. She is 5'6" and is from Brooklyn, N.Y., having attended Leon M. Goldstein High School. Her athletic career includes participation in the February North American Cup and the Miller Invitational. At the 2025 April North American Cup, she achieved a victory in the junior women's epee team event alongside Mia Smotritsky. She also secured a Division 1 win at this event. Additionally, she is listed in FIE records with a rank of 343.

Kaitlyn Zanga is a freshman fencer specializing in Epee for the UNC Tar Heels. She is currently pursuing a bachelor's degree in Economics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Born in 2007, she is noted to be from Pittsboro, N.C., and attended Seaforth High School. She was listed on the 2025-26 roster for the UNC Athletics fencing program. She has demonstrated athletic skill, notably giving the women's epee squad a win. Her current status as a student athlete places her under the focus of the UNC Tar Heels Fencing program.

Mariasole Capellua is an Epee specialist and sophomore student-athlete for the University of North Carolina (UNC) Tar Heels Fencing Program. Born in 2005, she competed during the 2025-26 season. At the Coach Nikki Franke Classic, she finished 22nd with five wins, notably securing a 5-4 victory over Olympian Eszter Muhari. She was recognized by UNC Athletics as one of the ten fencers named to the 2026 All-Region teams. Additionally, the UNC Tar Heels women's fencing team put together a strong showing at the Miller Invitational on February 8, 2026.

Mia Smotritsky is a sophomore student-athlete at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, specializing in Epee fencing. She is pursuing a double major in Political Science and Philosophy, following a pre-law track. She is noted to be from Brooklyn, N.Y., and attended Townsend Harris High School. Her athletic achievements include winning the junior women's epee team event during the 2025 April North American Cup alongside Elizabeth Zigalo. Furthermore, she achieved a notable 16th place finish at the Junior Olympics. Her performance was highlighted on January 12, 2026, when she won four straight bouts in the direct elimination portion of the Junior Olympics.

Nicole Milewski is an Epee fencer representing the University of North Carolina (UNC) Athletics. She was named a two-time team captain during the 2024-25 season. Her academic achievements are highly recognized, including being named a CSC Academic All-District and receiving Three-time All-ACC Academic recognition in 2024. Athletically, she recently brought home her second career Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) silver medal. This achievement took place at the University of North Carolina Athletics in Durham, N.C.

Sobia Reid is a Junior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she is pursuing a major in Global Studies and Economics. She is also a Division I Fencer specializing in Epee/Right Hand for the UNC team. Her academic achievements include being named to the 2024 ACC All-Academic team. She is affiliated with the Ramos Research Institute (RRI), where she is conducting research focused on Democratic Resilience. She previously attended Newark Academy in New Jersey. Her athletic participation included the November NAC on November 13, 2023.

Tatiana Zafft is a fencer specializing in the Epee position and is currently a Sophomore at the University of North Carolina. She is originally from Boston, Massachusetts, and attended Concord Carlisle High School. The UNC women's fencing team opened its regular season against Duke on November 1, 2025. Furthermore, the team achieved a strong showing at the Miller Invitational on February 8, 2026. Due to her role, her individual performance is viewed as a critical determinant of the UNC team's overall success and ranking in the Epee division.

Katie McGillion-Moore is a senior fencer specializing in Foil at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is also studying Business Administration with an emphasis in Entrepreneurship. Her athletic achievements include sweeping the Brian Palestis Memorial Invitational on February 1, 2026. This victory contributed to the UNC women's team achieving a 9-1 regular season record and maintaining a nine-match winning streak. She also participated in the ACC Championships at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham on February 22, 2026. Furthermore, her community service was recognized when she was named Westport's Eagle Scout Pioneer on October 1, 2021.

Lauren Yu is a William J. Brennan fellow with the ACLU's Speech, Privacy, & Technology Project. She authored an article for the ACLU of Georgia on July 23, 2025, concerning wrongful arrests resulting from police reliance on facial recognition technology. Her scientific research includes studies published in 2022 regarding elevated microglial oxidative phosphorylation and phagocytosis in post-stroke brain remodeling. Additionally, she contributed to research in 2026 investigating Large Language Models (LLMs) for Maternal and Neonatal Healthcare in Low-and-Middle-Income Countries (LMICs). Professionally, her background also includes roles as a Full Stack Developer and Software Engineer, and she was a nationally ranked women's foil fencer for the University of North Carolina.

Molly Kettelle is a junior fencer for the University of North Carolina (UNC) Athletics. She specializes in Foil and uses her right hand. Her athletic profile dates back to 2005. She competed at the Junior Olympics on February 16, 2025. She is associated with UNC Chapel Hill, where she was recently linked to a student tuition giveaway event. During this public event, MrBeast paid off a student tuition using $30K cash.

Sreehitha Gandluri is a student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, majoring in Political Science and Global Studies, with an expected graduation date of 2028. She is recognized as a Carolina Diplomacy Fellow. Professionally, she serves as an Associate Editor and Board Member for Youth Journalism International (YJI). In December 2025, YJI published more than 200 pieces from young people across 36 countries. Athletically, she is a sophomore fencer specializing in Foil for the UNC Tar Heels Fencing Program, participating in the 2025-26 roster. Her profile combines high-level academic focus, professional experience in journalism, and elite athletic discipline.

Zhiyan Qian is a junior student-athlete at the University of North Carolina (UNC), specializing in Foil/Right Hand. She is pursuing a dual major in Mathematics and Statistics with a minor in Physics at UNC-Chapel Hill. She is also a USA Fencing referee, having learned the sport at Apex Fencing Academy. Academically, her research has focused on myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN). Her published work includes studies from 2011 and 2013, investigating the JAK2V617F mutation and the efficacy of combined JAK1/2 and pan-deacetylase inhibition in preclinical mouse models. She is currently managing a highly demanding schedule balancing her studies, elite athletics, and research.

Isabella Gertrude Amy Webb, known as Ella Webb, was a pioneering Irish paediatrician who lived from October 16, 1877, to August 24, 1946. She attended Alexandra College, Dublin, and graduated with an MD in 1906, achieving the distinction of being the first woman to attain the highest marks in the final medical examinations of the Royal University of Ireland. Following her marriage to George Webb in 1907, she established a private practice on Hatch Street. During the Easter Rising, she demonstrated significant bravery by setting up an emergency hospital at the War Supply Depot located at 40 Merrion Square. For her service, she was awarded the Order of St. John Life Saving Medal (Silver) and later received the Lady of Grace of the Order of St John of Jerusalem in 1916, followed by an MBE in 1918. Furthermore, she is recognized for founding the Children's Sunshine Home for Convalescents, which is now known as LauraLynn Ireland Children's Hospice.

Fiona Lee is a multifaceted individual with notable achievements across academia, music, and athletics. Academically, her research includes studies on 'Help seeking and power motivation in organizations' in 1997, 'Negotiating biculturalism' in 2002, and 'Creative performance and identity integration' in 2008. Musically, she released the "Every Woman EP," featuring the track "Rational," via Gravity / Capitol Records. She maintains an active athletic profile, having participated in the 2025 European Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship. Her professional online presence is managed through her official website, fionaleeofficial.com, and she is associated with the U-M LSA Department of Psychology.