WALTHAM, Mass. – Three members of the Brandeis University men's fencing program have been selected for major awards for the 2025 postseason. Junior
Lev BenAvram of
Bethesda, Maryland, was named the United State Fencing Coaches Association Division III Men's Saber Fencer of the Year, while assistant coach
Matt Zich was named Division III Assistant Coach of the Year by the USFCA. Senior
Tony Escueta of
Grand Prairie, Texas, was named by the Northeast Fencing Conference as the Eliot Lilien Award winner as the fencer in the conference who shows exemplary sportsmanship and an excellent parry system.
BenAvram gives Brandeis its third-straight USFCA Saber Fencer of the Year, after Escueta earned the two previous honors. In addition to earning Division III first-team All-America honors, BenAvram was a second-team All-Division All-American thanks to his eighth-place finish at the NCAA National Collegiate Championships in March. He is a three-time Division III All-America honoree from the USFCA. BenAvram is also among the top saber fencers in the US Fencing standings, ranking eighth nationally as he aims for qualification for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
Zich earns USFCA Division III Assistant Coach of the Year honors for the third year running. In 2023 and 2024, he was named both men's and women's assistant coach of the year for all divisions, helping the Judges produce the top Division III saber fencers in the nation each time. This year, BenAvram was again the top Division III finisher in any men's weapon, while Escueta just missed out on being a four-time NCAA Championship qualifier.
Escueta, who earned first-team Division III All-America honors in saber, was a three-time qualifier to the NCAA National Collegiate Fencing Championships for the Judges. He earned All-Division All-America honors as a sophomore, when he finished 12th nationally, and as a junior, when he was 8th overall. Escueta was named USFCA Division III Newcomer of the Year as a first-year, Division III Saber Fencer of the Year as a sophomore and DIII and All-Division Fencer of the Year as a junior.
For more information on Brandeis men's fencing, visit their web page at
https://brandeisjudges.com/sports/mens-fencing.
