Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus Men's Fencing

Penn State Athletics announced the addition of Matteo Zennaro as associate head coach for the men’s and women’s fencing programs in early August 2023. He will be in his third at Penn State during the 2025-26 campaign. Zennaro had been an assistant for Harvard since 2018. During that span, the Crimson tallied nearly 40 All-Americans between the men’s and women’s teams. Harvard posted more than 300 wins in dual event competition and notched three top-five finishes at the NCAA Championships. Prior to his time at Harvard, Zennaro was an assistant coach at Ohio State for one season. Internationally acclaimed, Zennaro served as a foil coach with the Italian Junior National Team from 2007-17. He had an outstanding international career as a competitor as well. Zennaro won gold in men’s foil at the 1998 Italian Championship and took home silver at the 1999 Seoul World Championship. He grabbed a second Italian Championship in 2004 and won silver at the Mediterranean Games in 2005. Zennaro helped lead the Italian men’s foil team to a bronze medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. Two years later, he and his teammates captured gold at the 2002 European Championships in Moscow, Russia. During Zennaro's tenure at Penn State, the Nittany Lions have posted a combined 32-22 record on the men's side and a 28-27 record on the women's side. Penn State has also notched two top-ten finishes at the National Collegiate Championships (combined men and women). Penn State has won 10 combined NCAA team

The Penn State Nittany Lion men’s and women’s fencing teams, under the guidance of Matteo Zennaro, has announced the hiring of Balazs Kurucz as assistant coach as the 2024-25 season commenced. The former Hungarian European Medalist and coach is now in his second season as the saber coach for the Nittany Lions. Balazs comes to Penn State from Great Britain where he has served as one of the nation’s most successful club coaches. He also served as the lead coach for the Great Britain Junior Women’s Saber Team. Prior to heading to the U.K. in 2012, Balazs coached in Hungary at across all age levels, from U11 to seniors. During his coaching career, Balazs’ athletes achieved the highest levels of success, from Junior World Gold Medals to Cadet and Junior European medal finishes. He helped guide fencers to multiple medals at Cadet European Circuit and Cadet World Championship events. Balazs began fending at a young age in Godollo, Hungary, where he became a multiple time medalist at the Hungarian National Championships in the youth age categories. He went on to earn European gold medals at the U17 level in 1995 and 1996.

Penn State fencing named Renata Knapik-Miazga as assistant coach for the Nittany Lion men’s and women’s fencing teams prior to the start of the 2024-25 season. She is now in her second year at Penn State. Knapik-Miazga is a current member of the Polish National Team and was a 2024 Olympian for Poland. She is the founder and head coach of the Tarnow Academy of Fencing and president of the Lesser Poland Fencing Association. In addition to being a current member of the Polish National Team, Knapik-Miazga fences for the Fencing Club Academy of Physical Education in Cracaow and the Fencing Club Parmentier Grenoble. As an athlete, Knapik-Miazga competed in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games for Poland, placing 15th in the women’s epee and helping Poland to a sixth-place finish in the women’s epee team standings. A veteran of international competition, she owns a second-place finish at the 2021 Polish National Championship, the Polish National Championship in 2020 and European Championship in 2019 among many other top five finishes nationally and internationally.

The Penn State Nittany Lion men’s and women’s fencing teams, under the guidance of head coach Matteo Zennaro, announced the hiring of Simone Mazzoni as assistant coach in September of 2025. The former Italian Fencing Federation coach is in his first season as a foil coach for the Nittany Lions. Mazzoni comes to Penn State having served as a club coach in Italy for the past 14 years and as a coach with the Italian Fencing Federation since 2019. He was the foil coach for Club Scherma Roma from 2011 to now and was the Paralympic Foil Coach for the IFC from 2019 on. Mazzoni also served as the event manager for the Italian Baseball Softball Federation from 2020 to now. His results as a coach on the international level are extensive. Mazzoni has coached athletes to 11 international gold medals, seven silver medals and six bronze medals. He coached one athlete to the foil Gold Medal at the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo and another title at the 2023 U20 European Championships. Mazzoni has a degree in sports science, a Master’s in sport management and received his MBA in law and sport management.