LA JOLLA, Calif. — The United States Fencing Coaches Association (USFCA) announced the finalists for its 2025-26 Collegiate Awards, with two UC San Diego fencers making the list. Nurzhan Abzhanov is a finalist for Men's Epee Newcomer of the Year and Piper Randolph is a finalist for Women's Foil Newcomer of the Year.
 
All awards are voted on by USFCA member coaches. Abzhanov and Randolph are both one of three finalists in their respective categories.
 
Abzhanov is a freshman from Almaty, Kazakhstan, majoring in computer science at Sixth College. The epeeist went 25-15 in the regular season before finishing second at the NCAA West Regional Championship and winning the MPSF Men's Epee Championship. Abzhanov qualified for the National Collegiate Fencing Championships, finishing 12th to earn Honorable Mention All-America honors. He was also named First Team All-Region and First Team All-MPSF.
 
Randolph is a freshman from Solana Beach, California, majoring in astrophysics at Sixth College. The foilist went 28-8 in the regular season, with her .778 winning percentage the best on the team. She was sixth at the NCAA West Regional Championship and third at the MPSF Championship. Randolph and the rest of the Triton women won the team MPSF Championship. She also qualified for the National Collegiate Fencing Championships, finishing 22nd. Randolph was named Honorable Mention All-Region and Second Team All-MPSF.
 
About UC San Diego Athletics
After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program has begun a new era as a member of The Big West in NCAA Division I. The 24-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions II and III and helped guide 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 83 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 39 have garnered prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 90 percent, the highest rate among public institutions in NCAA Division I or II. For more information on the Tritons, visit UCSDtritons.com or follow UC San Diego Athletics on social media @UCSDtritons.