Granville, Ohio (May 6, 2025) – The United States Fencing Coaches Association (USFCA) has announced the winners for the 2024-25 Athlete and Coach of the Year Awards. Finalists were selected from member nominations of athletes and coaches from across NCAA divisions. All head coaches from member institutions then voted to select the winners. 

First-year Claire Anderson has been honored with the Div III Newcomer of the Year Award for Women's Epee. The award goes to the first-year student-athlete who hit the ground running, and Anderson did just that. She had an 89-46 season record (66% win rate) and placed 3rd at the Eastern Women's Fencing Conference (EWFC) Championships and 17th at NCAA Regionals. For her efforts, she was named EWFC First Team All-Conference.

"Claire is a tough competitor," Coach Peter Grandbois commented. "And she's been consistent all season, so it's great to see her win a national award. I look forward to seeing what she'll do in the coming years."

Coach Grandbois was also honored by the US Fencing Coaches Association, as he was named the Division III Women's Team Head Coach of the Year for the 2024-25 season. He has been a finalist the previous two years but never won, until now. Coach Grandbois led the Big Red to their first-ever No. 1 national ranking in the USFCA coaches poll and a No. 1 ranking in the final data-driven SPI poll. Under his leadership, the Big Red took the Eastern Women's Fencing Conference title for the first time in program history. Seven of his foil and epee fencers qualified for the NCAA Midwest Regionals—freshman Elly Kennedy, Nicole Krumholz, and Claire Anderson, sophomore Lal Ertün, and juniors Velma Hall, Maggie Zhu, and Bella Musto.