Staff | Boston Fencing Club

Davis Merritt

Davis Merritt has been part of Boston Fencing Club since childhood and is one of the most accomplished foil fencers to come through its ranks. He won national titles at the U-13, U-15 (twice), and U-17 levels, in addition to the U-19 North Atlantic championship, two New England Division crowns, and the Bay State Games. Before attending St. John’s University, Davis represented the United States at the 1995 Pan-American Championships and the 1997 World Championships, and also contributed to national championship victories with the U-20 and Division 1A men’s foil teams. At St. John’s, he earned NCAA All-America honors while competing at the Division I level.

As a coach, Davis has produced medalists at regional and national competitions across junior, senior, and veteran categories. His athletes have gone on to fence for NCAA programs including the U.S. Air Force Academy, Drew University, Tufts University, and MIT, where he also served as a collegiate coach. He is currently the foil coach for the Wheaton College NCAA varsity team, while continuing to coach and mentor athletes at Boston Fencing Club.

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Matt Zich

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With over 25 years in sabre fencing—including 11 years competing at the international level—Matthew Zich has established himself as both an elite fencer and a transformative coach. He was classically trained under Maestro Yury Gelman in New York City and represented the U.S. on the National Fencing Team from 2003 to 2009, competing at World Championships in Korea, Italy, France, and Austria. As a Cadet and Junior, he was ranked #1 in the U.S. and consistently placed among the top 5 globally; as a Senior, he remained within the top 5 nationally.

Over the past 15 years, Matt has cultivated excellence across all levels of the sport. His students have medaled in Youth Tournaments, Junior Olympics, Senior Nationals, and Cadet World Cups. He has also coached the U.S. Cadet National Teams at World Cup events in Poland and Germany upon invitation from USFA.

At Brandeis University, Matt has played a pivotal role in one of the most successful eras in program history. He coached 2024 NCAA Champion Maggie Shealy and both the 2022 and 2023 Junior Men’s Sabre National Champions, in addition to multiple NCAA All-Americans and a member of the 2023 Cadet World Team in Women’s Sabre. In recognition of his extraordinary work, the U.S. Fencing Coaches Association (USFCA) named him Assistant Coach of the Year (both Division III and National categories) for 2023 and 2024, with the 2024 honor highlighting his leadership of the Brandeis sabre squad.

Since 2018, he has also served as Head Sabre Coach at Boston Fencing Club, where he has guided dozens of athletes to continue fencing at top collegiate programs including Oxford, Harvard, Columbia, UPenn, Duke, Brandeis, St. John’s, Northwestern, and Boston College.

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David Sach

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David Sach began his fencing career in the United Kingdom, where he quickly rose to prominence as one of the country’s top sabre fencers. He captured numerous cadet, junior, and senior national titles, including an unmatched streak of five consecutive Junior National Championships. Internationally, David competed at eight World Championships between 1995 and 1998 at the Cadet, Junior, and Senior levels. Representing Wales at three Commonwealth Games, he earned two individual silver medals and a team gold medal.

Transitioning to coaching at a young age, David has since built a reputation for developing athletes at the highest level of the sport. He has coached multiple national champions across every age group, international World Cup medalists at both the Junior and Senior level, a Cadet World Champion, and Olympians. Before relocating to the United States, David served as a British Fencing World Class Performance Pathway sabre coach, working directly with and monitoring members of the British Olympic Sabre Team.

In addition to his coaching, David is also an FIE-rated referee, officiating at the 2005 and 2007 Senior World Championships and the 2008 Olympic Games. He currently serves as Head Sabre Coach at Boston Fencing Club and is an assistant coach for the Wheaton College NCAA fencing team, where he continues to train and inspire athletes at every stage of their fencing journey.

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