Former NCAA And Israeli National Champion Anastasia Ferdman Named Assistant Fencing Coach

PHILADELPHIA—Bolstering the coaching staff for the upcoming 2012-13 season, legendary Temple Women's Fencing head coach Nikki Franke has announced the hiring of former Israeli National Epee Champion and 2009 NCAA Individual Epee Champion Anastasia Ferdman to be her newest assistant coach.

“We are extremely pleased to have Anastasia join our coaching staff this year,” Franke said. “She will bring additional support to our fencing program. Someone with experience and competitive success will be a definite asset to our team.”

A native of Israel, Ferdman has spent the last two years as the head fencing coach at Ridge High School in Basking Ridge, N.J., while also serving as the epee coach at the Medeo Fencing Club in Bridgewater, N.J.

Under her tutelage at Ridge, Ferdman guided and motivated multiple epee fencers to individual state championships. At the Medeo Fencing Club, she has coached several epee fencers who were finalists at multiple national events.

With her background and proven skill in epee, Temple now has a coach for each of its three weapon squads.

“Coming to Temple and being able to work with a Division-I women's fencing program is an exciting opportunity,” Ferdman said. “I'm very excited to help the team this upcoming season and make the move to Philadelphia.”

Just before arriving to Temple, Ferdman coached Ridge's women's epee squad to titles in the 2012 state and district championships

As a fencer herself, Ferdman competed in epee for her entire career. While earning a bachelor's degree in Human Development and Family Studies at Penn State, she collected a myriad of accomplishments.

Serving as thesquad captain for three years, Ferdman was a member of the 2007, 2009 and 2010 NCAA Championship teams. Her junior year with the Nittany Lions proved to be her best during her collegiate career, as she was crowned the NCAA Individual Epee Champion in 2009.

Beginning to fence at five yearsof age at Macabi Maalot, which was the gym run by her father, Yakov, Ferdman learned to develop her talent in epee. By the age of 14, Ferdman competed in the 2000 World Junior Championships in South Bend, Ind., where she took a very impressive third place finish.

Also while a fencer at her father's gym, Ferdman was a member of the Israeli National Team from 1999-2006. Of those years, Ferdman was Israeli's national champion six times, winning titles every year from 2000-2005, while also placing second at the European Junior Championships in 2005 and fourth in the Junior World Rankings in 2005.

Before beginning her collegiate career, Ferdman earned her coaching certification at the Nat Holman School for Coaches and Instructors from the Wingate Institute for Physical Education and Sport in Netaniya, Israel.

Former assistant coach Bradley Baker will remain with the team as a Volunteer Coach, while pursuing his doctorate degree full time in Business Administration with a concentration in Tourism and Sport at Temple University.

“I am very happy that Brad will continue to be a part of our coaching staff,” Franke said. “He is a key member of our team and brings outstanding expertise in sabre to our athletes.”

Temple Women's Fencing, which is coming off a 10th place NCAA finish in 2011-12 with a record of 24-8, will open the season just as it has done the last 33 years with the Temple Open on Oct. 27.

Temple University Athletics

Former NCAA And Israeli National Champion Anastasia Ferdman Named Assistant Fencing Coach

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