Tar Heels claim ninth ACC title in men’s fencing
Carolina earned three victories Sunday for its first league title since 1980.
The Carolina men’s fencing team went 3-0 Sunday at the Atlantic Coast Conference Championships to earn its first conference title since 1980 and the ninth in program history.
Fencing at Notre Dame’s Castellan Family Fencing Center, Carolina started the morning with a win over Boston College, beating the Eagles 15-12.
Next up was the signature win, an upset of top-ranked Notre Dame, 17-10.
The Tar Heels claimed the crown with a 19-8 win over rival Duke.
The Carolina men hadn’t won a conference title since the ACC Fencing Championships were revived in 2015 with the addition of Notre Dame to the conference. Notre Dame had won the last two titles and seven overall since 2015.
Carolina dedicated the win to legendary coach Ron Miller, who started the program and led the Tar Heels to their first eight men’s titles and to the program’s first women’s title in 2018. Miller died in June. He served as the program’s head coach for 52 seasons.
Matt Jednak, a Carolina graduate and former Tar Heel fencer, is in his fifth season as the program’s head coach. The 2024 ACC crown is his first.
After completion of the ACC men’s bouts, competition rolled right into the women’s team event, which wraps up Sunday afternoon.
2024 ACC men’s team championship results
Round 1
Notre Dame defeated Duke, 17-10 (S45/F63/E72)
Carolina defeated Boston College, 15-12 (S6-3/F36/E63)
Round 2
Carolina defeated Notre Dame, 17-10 (S63/F63/E54)
Duke defeated Boston College, 17-10 (S54/F63/E63)
Round 3
Carolina defeated Duke, 19-8 (S72/F63/E63)
Notre Dame defeated Boston College, 20-7 (S72/F63/E72)
