Juan Ignacio Calderon was named head coach of the UC San Diego fencing program in July of 2018. In the 2023-24 season, the Tritons finished the regular season ranked 13th in men's and 15th in women's. In the past season, Hananiah So (Saber) won the West Regionals and Renee Zuhars (Epee) and Zara Fearns (Saber) won the MPSF Conference individual titles. Four individuals made the trip to Ohio State for the NCAA Championships, Renee Zuhars (15), Arnav Raja (19), Hananiah So (23), and Scott Lao (24). For the 2022-23 season, the men's team finished 10th in the regular season for the first time in the program's history. Vedran Markota (Epee) won both the West Regionals and the MPSF Championship, and Renee Zuhars won the West Regionals. Five Tritons went to Duke for the NCAA Championships, Vedran Markota (18), Derek Rong (23), Larry Song (23), Jacob Levy (22), and Renee Zuhars (18) Over the 2021-22 season, Calderon's fourth leading the Tritons, the team put together a historic campaign with several major victories and yet another trip to the National Collegiate Fencing Championships. In early December, UC San Diego traveled to the Elite Invitational at Ohio State for the first time in program history. There the men's team compiled a 5-1 record with victories against No. 3 Ohio State and No. 7 Penn. Milan Rona went 14-2 in Men's Epee and Julia Hill put together an impressive 18-3 mark in Women's Saber. At the NCAA West Regionals in San Antonio, Shawn Kim successfully defended his West Region Men's Saber Champion title. Sarah Shen became the 2022 West Region Saber Champion on the women's side. Alongside Kim and Shen, three other Tritons, including Rafaella Gomes (foil), Hill, and Justin Park (saber), finished on the podium to earn automatic berths in the National Collegiate Championships. The very next day at the first-ever Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) Championships, Kim added another title to his resume by winning the Men's Saber event. At Nationals, Kim took third, equaling the best-ever individual finish by a Triton. UC San Diego placed 13th overall, which tied the program's top finish at a full-field Nationals. To wrap up an outstanding season, Kim was tabbed the USFCA Men's Saber Fencer of the Year as well as the MPSF Men's Fencer of the Year. A total of 23 Tritons were recognized with All-Academic honors from the USFCA. Calderon was the recipient of UC San Diego's Excellence in Coaching Award. Although the 2020-21 season was heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, Calderon and the Tritons certainly made the best of it. With just two official events on the slate, UC San Diego wasted no time making history by winning Western Fencing Conference team titles on both the men's and women's sides for the first time in program history. The Tritons then fielded a full team of 12 competitors, another first, at the NCAA National Collegiate Championships at Penn State. They placed seventh of 19 squads, their best-ever showing at Nationals. UC San Diego finished just six points behind sixth-place North Carolina and seven points back from fifth-place St. John's. Three Tritons earned All-America honors at the 2021 Nationals as Vedran Markota was ninth in epee, Benjamin Hadler was 10th in foil, and Emma Zmurk took 11th in epee. In 2019-20, Calderon had five Tritons qualify for the National Collegiate Championships before the remainder of the team's campaign was canceled due to COVID-19. All five – Hadler (foil), Amelia Harrison (epee), Ziad Khayat (epee), Shawn Kim (saber), and Justin Park (saber) – were automatic qualifiers due to their impressive finishes at the West Regional. In fact, Kim finished his freshman season as the region's saber champion. Both the Triton men and women received votes in the national poll. In his first season as head coach (2018-19), Calderon led UC San Diego to a 13th-place finish at the National Collegiate Championships, equaling the program's best-ever placing at the time. Three of the five Tritons competing at nationals earned All-America accolades including Khayat, who finished seventh, the highest for any Triton male in school history. Both the Triton men and women received votes in the national poll. With 41 years of international experience across his native Spain, Germany, and the United States, Calderon has touched all aspects of fencing as a competitor, coach, referee, federation official, and tournament organizer. Calderon spent the 2017-18 season as an assistant coach at UC San Diego, primarily working with the team's epeeists. He helped three Tritons qualify for the NCAA Championships in the weapon with Zach Kravitz placing 15th, Emma Zmurk 17th, and Emily Beihold 20th. Calderon began collaborating with the San Diego Fencing Center in 2011, where he currently serves as Head Coach. In addition, he was the Chairman of USA Fencing's San Diego Division for two years during which he drove a 30% increase in the number of competitive fencers. In 2016, Calderon founded the Global Fencing Network, a non-profit that fosters collaboration between fencing clubs. Currently, it includes 200 clubs enrolled across 40 countries. Between 1982 and 1991, Calderon coached in Spain at Club de Esgrima de Madrid as well as Sala de Armas de Madrid, considered the top club in the country. He was also a World Cup referee and the head of the Madrid Fencing Federation's referee commission for two years. As a competitive fencer in Spain, Calderon was a two-time National Junior Team champion and the Spanish Military champion. At the Senior level, he was ranked among the top-10 for four-straight years. Calderon also held several executive positions at a large technology company over a 20-year span before deciding to focus on fencing full-time. A 1992 graduate of the Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Calderon earned a degree in marketing and business administration. He is a Fencing Master in all weapons by the Spanish Fencing Master Academy. Juan Ignacio Calderon – Head Coach, UC San Diego Fencing Juan Ignacio Calderon has served as the head coach of the UC San Diego Fencing program since July 2018, bringing over four decades of international experience to the Tritons. Under his leadership, the team has achieved numerous historic milestones and consistently excelled at both the regional and national levels. Recent Accomplishments (2023-24): The Tritons closed the regular season with the men’s team ranked 13th and the women’s team ranked 15th nationally. Hananiah So (Saber) won the NCAA West Regionals, while Renee Zuhars (Epee) and Zara Fearns (Saber) secured Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) individual titles. Four athletes competed at the NCAA Championships at Ohio State, with Zuhars finishing 15th in women’s epee. Historic Breakthroughs (2021-22 and 2022-23): Calderon guided the men's team to a program-best 10th-place finish during the 2022-23 season, with standout performances from Vedran Markota (Epee), who claimed both the NCAA West Regional and MPSF titles. Five Tritons qualified for the NCAA Championships at Duke, continuing the program's tradition of sending strong contingents to the national stage. The 2021-22 season marked a turning point for the program. The men’s team achieved a 5-1 record at the prestigious Elite Invitational, including victories over No. 3 Ohio State and No. 7 Penn. At the NCAA National Collegiate Championships, Shawn Kim’s third-place finish in men’s saber tied the program’s best individual result. Kim was later named USFCA Men’s Saber Fencer of the Year and MPSF Men’s Fencer of the Year. Overcoming Adversity (2020-21): Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, Calderon led the Tritons to unprecedented success, securing Western Fencing Conference titles for both men’s and women’s teams for the first time. At Nationals, UC San Diego achieved a historic seventh-place finish, with three fencers earning All-America honors. Early Achievements and Background: In Calderon’s debut season (2018-19), UC San Diego equaled its best-ever placement at Nationals, finishing 13th, with three Tritons earning All-America accolades. Prior to his appointment as head coach, he served as the team’s assistant coach, focusing on epee, where he helped three athletes qualify for the NCAA Championships. Calderon’s coaching career spans over 40 years, with stints in Spain, Germany, and the U.S. He began his career at Spain’s premier clubs, Club de Esgrima de Madrid and Sala de Armas de Madrid, where he coached multiple national champions. As a competitor, he was a two-time Spanish Junior National Team champion and a top-10 Senior fencer for four consecutive years. Contributions Beyond Coaching: Calderon is the founder of the Global Fencing Network, a non-profit organization fostering collaboration among 200 clubs in 40 countries. He also served as Chairman of USA Fencing’s San Diego Division, driving a 30% growth in competitive membership during his tenure. In addition to his coaching achievements, Calderon holds a degree in Marketing and Business Administration from Universidad Autónoma de Madrid and is certified as a Fencing Master in all weapons by the Spanish Fencing Master Academy. Calderon’s leadership, dedication, and strategic vision have made a lasting impact on UC San Diego Fencing, cementing the program as a national powerhouse and a hub for developing elite student-athletes.