To most fencers, being awarded the title of Maestro, the sport's highest honor, would be the crowning achievement of their life. But one man, who has already experienced this honor, would gladly trade this "glorified certificate" to represent his country in the Olympics one more time.
Many highlights of Penn fencing coach Dave Micahnik's storied career have revolved around the Olympic Games. Micahnik has sent multiple Quakers to the Olympics, but his personal experience there as part of the 1960, 1964 and 1968 U.S. teams are some of his fondest memories.
"It is simply an overwhelming emotional experience," Micahnik said. "There is no way to explain the feeling of walking into that stadium representing the United States. It is simply spectacular."
However, Micahnik's road to three Olympic teams, one national championship and countless other accomplishments was not apparent from the start.
"No one thought I had any talent, including my family," Micahnik bluntly stated. "In fact, the first time I ever picked up a foil was during my freshman year at Penn."
While it seems unlikely that such inexperience would eventually lead to greatness, Micahnik contends that, unlike today, most collegiate fencers when he started coaching had little or no experience when they came to the collegiate level.
"There were some fencers with talent and some with the right personality," Micahnik said. "To truly succeed in this sport, you need both."
As an undergraduate, under the tutelage of Maestro Csiszaer, Micahnik made All-American as a senior and went on to win the national championship in 1960.
But his first experience with the Maestro was anything but smooth.
"I told Maestro that I was interested in fencing and that I wanted a lesson. So he gave me a foil and told me to lunge three times.
"Each attempt was 'terrible' or 'awful.' So I left, learned how to lunge, and came back the next day. When I did it 'better' he told me, 'You are big and strong, I make you great fencer.' Later I realized that was the first cut, if you left and didn't come back, you weren't cut out to be a fencer."
In his 32 seasons at Penn -- 28 as men's fencing head coach -- Micahnik has seen vast changes in the sport of fencing. But by far the most striking changes he has witnessed have been the changes at Penn regarding women's involvement in collegiate athletics.
When he began his undergraduate career in 1955, there was a large gender gap in the student body, particularly within intercollegiate athletics.
"When I first came to Penn and when I first started coaching, Penn was predominantly white male," Micahnik said. "Now the role of women is huge. The gender balance is north of 50-50 and there is more racial and geographic mixing."
The reason for the ascendance of women is not just Title IX. From the mid-'70s when Title IX was adopted, Micahnik credits then Athletic Director Fred Shabel with making Penn's goal to have a women's sports program that was just as competitive as the men's program.
Micahnik was eager to implement this gender equality with the women's fencing team; however, it continued to be coached by only part-time coaches, despite his repeated requests to coach it.
Finally, in the late '70s, Micahnik walked into the athletic director's office and made a guarantee.
"Give me the women's team," Micahnik said, "And they will be contenders in three years and champions in five."
Micahnik was subsequently made coach of both the women's and men's fencing teams.
However, he was unable to make good on his pledge. It took him 10 years to lead the female fencers to the national championship in 1985-86.
"That was the end of phase one of my women's fencing program." Micahnik said. "That was the best team we ever had, maybe the best team anyone has ever had."
As Micahnik praised his national champions, he pointed to their team photograph which adorns the wall of his office, next to countless NCAA fencing placewinner plaques.
What Micahnik did next was a testament to his love of the sport and all his fencers.
He preceded to list the accomplishments, both collegiate and international, of every woman in the photo. He then listed their current professions and their new last names. But that is just the type of hands-on coach that Micahnik is.
"I'm 65 and I'm not going to retire anytime soon. When Fred Shabel hired me back in 1975 he told me that he looked forward to an era of dominance. Well, that era hasn't ended yet."
In 1997 he was again honored as a member of the second class of the University of Pennsylvania Athletic Hall of Fame.
In his speech, he made reference to what was his "mission statement," given to him by Shabel. Shabel, who was in attendance, went up to Micahnik after the speech, saying that although Micahnik had indeed given him the "era of dominance" that he requested, he had used the same line to every coach he hired.
