Sara Taffel joined the New York University men’s and women’s fencing teams as a volunteer assistant coach in October 2023. Along with current Assistant Coach Brian Kaneshige, Taffel works with the foil fencers as a bouting partner and on-strip fencing coach.
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.
In her first season, Taffel helped lead the men’s team to a 20-10 record as the Violets were selected USFCA Division III Men’s Team of the Year. Four men’s fencers qualified for the NCAA Championships as the Violets placed 14th in the combined men’s/women’s event, the best finish of any Division III team.
The women’s team posted a 14-20 record.
Many NYU fencers racked up awards from the USFCA after their strong seasons, as the men totaled 10 All-Region and five All-America honors while Adam Wong was chosen Division III Foil Newcomer of the Year. The women’s team collected five All-Region and three All-America accolades.
Taffel has accumulated expertise as a program director and fencing coach at the Prescod Institute for Sport, Teamwork, and Education Fencing Academy in Brooklyn, NY, where she has worked since 2020. At Prescod, Taffel is responsible for developing and executing comprehensive fencing programs that proactively integrate social emotional learning for BIPOC youth between 4-15-years-old in the Flatbush and surrounding Brooklyn neighborhood.
A two-time Junior World Championship medalist, Taffel won the gold at the 2015 Junior World Championships. A prominent member of the USA Women’s Foil travel team, she has aspirations for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
An alum of Barnard College, Columbia University, Taffel played a pivotal role in Columbia’s team titles at the 2015 and 2016 NCAA and Ivy League Championships. A two-time All-American and four-time All-Ivy, she was a four-year recipient of Barnard’s Athlete Award and Columbia’s 2017 Karen Blank Award Recipient.
Taffel graduated with honors in 2017 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies and a minor in Psychology. She is currently pursuing a Master of Social Work in Clinical Practice with Individuals, Families and Groups at the Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College.
A New York City native, Taffel resides in Brooklyn.
