Isis Washington was hired as an assistant fencing coach at New York University in November 2024.
In her first season in 2024-25, both the men’s (20-11) and women’s (21-12) teams produced 20-win seasons (the most wins in women’s team history), and the teams combined for a 21st-place finish at the NCAA Championships. Two fencers, Maria Stamos and Anup Banerjee, represented NYU at the NCAA’s.
The men’s campaign included victories over NCAA Division I squads from Penn State University, the University of North Carolina, and Duke University, while the women recorded wins against DI teams North Carolina, the University of Notre Dame, Boston University, and Lafayette College.
Both squads were well-represented in postseason awards from the United States Fencing Coaches Association (USFCA), with Banerjee being selected National Foil Newcomer of the Year. He also received similar “Newcomer of the Year” accolades on the Division III level, as did teammates Ajit Sivakumar (epee) and Ansh Ghayalod (sabre). On the women’s side, Stamos was chosen DIII Foil Athlete of the Year and Katherine Chen received similar accolades in epee.
A 2015 graduate of St. John's University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Communication Arts, Washington was a member of the Red Storm fencing team and won the NCAA Epee Championship in 2015, the first African American woman to win an individual title.
Washington has represented the United States as a National Team Member and an Olympic alternate, and is a U.S. National Champion.
Washington learned to fence at the Peter Westbrook Foundation, where she still participates as an athlete and coach and represents both the Foundation and the United States in national and international competitions.
Washington is native and resident of Parsippany, NJ.
