First-year Head Coach Ben Bratton has announced the addition of three assistant coaches to his men's and women's fencing team staffs. 

Brian Kaneshige, Guillermo Madrigal Sardinas and Aleks Ochocki will all be assisting Bratton as the squads prepare for the 2022-23 season.

"I am thrilled to have Brian, Guillermo and Aleks become members of the NYU fencing family," Bratton said. "All three share a common passion for enriching lives through the sport of fencing."  

Kaneshige is currently developing athletes as a coach with the New Jersey Fencing Alliance. He is the personal coach for a number of elite women's foil fencers, including Jackie Dubrovich, member of the 2020 U.S. Olympic Team. Kaneshige served directly under the late Buckie Leach in assisting Team USA foil in their preparation for the Olympics in 2021, and he currently supports the U.S. National Coaching Staff. 

A 2015 graduate of Harvard University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in East Asian Studies, Kaneshige was a four-year member of the Crimsons' fencing team. A  four-time All-American, two-time First Team All-Ivy League honoree and a member of three Ivy League Championship teams, Kaneshige served as a co-captain.

Also a competitor for Team USA Fencing, Kaneshige is a two-time medalist in Senior Men's Foil. Ranking as high as #5 in the USA Senior Men's Foil Rankings, he was the 2011 Junior Team World Champion and 2013 Junior Team Silver Medalist.   

Born in Cuba, Madrigal Sardinas is one of the most accomplished epee fencers in his country's history, competing internationally at the 2010 Senior World Fencing Championships. He earned numerous medals in North America Cup competitions, Pan Am games and many international events. 

Madrigal Sardinas began his coaching career as an assistant for the Cuban National Fencing Team in 2008 and then went on to serve as the Puerto Rican National Coach from 2012-15 before relocating to the United States in 2016. Since then, many of Madrigal Sardinas' athletes have gone on to consistently achieve success at the national and international level.

A 2008 graduate of the University of the Superior Institute of Physical Education Manuel Fajardo (Havana, Cuba) with a Bachelor's degree in Physical Education, Recreation and Sports, Madrigal Sardinas also went on to coach at the Fencers Club and the Fencing Sports Academy.   

Ochocki is currently the U.S. Women's Saber National Coach and is responsible for managing the training and logistics of the Cadet, Junior and Senior U.S. Women's Saber programs. The assistant saber coach at the University of Notre Dame from 2017-19, Ochocki's teams won the NCAA Championship in 2017 and 2018. He also served as an assistant coach at Stevens Institute of Technology from 2012-17. 

A 2012 graduate of Penn State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management, Ochocki  is a former member of the Nittany Lions' fencing team. He won the 2009 and 2012 individual NCAA saber titles and was a member of Penn State's team champions in 2009 and 2010. A First Team All-American all four years, Ochocki served as a three-year team captain.  

As a member of the U.S. National Fencing Team, Ochocki was a seven-time National Champion. a bronze medalist at the 2010 Junior World Championships and won over 40 North America Cup medals.

"These three gentlemen bring world-class experience as competitors and as coaches who I know will have an immediate and lasting impact on the program," Bratton added. "I can't wait to see what they accomplish."