Getting To Know The Newest Group Of Fencing Tar Heels: Women

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Carolina fencing is excited to welcome six new women's fencers to the fencing family. The newcomers hail from all over the world, from Kentucky, to New York, to Egypt.

Elizabeth Zigalo is an epeeist who joins the squad from Brooklyn, N.Y. Zigalo is a skilled fencer on the US Cadet World Team who has made a name for herself on the national and international stage. She finished 28^th out of 129 competitors at the Junior World Championships in Saudi Arabia.

Dagny Johnson is the second freshman in this year's class from New York. Johnson has flourished on the biggest stages as she represented the US as a member of the sabre national team five different times, most recently competing at the 2025 World Cup. The freshman also made a name for herself off the strip as she was named Brighton News 10NBC's Scholar Athlete of the Week as a senior in high school for her athletic and academic success, which included her work ethic as she maintained straight As, her skill as a pianist and as a board of education representative.

Samantha Maryash is the third and final freshman from the Big Apple. She competed in the 2025 summer nationals in multiple divisions before coming to Chapel Hill. She finished in the top sixteen for the Junior women's sabre out of 272 fencers and won four straight bouts in the elimination portion of the summer nationals. Outside of fencing, she also played basketball for her high school.

The two-time USA Fencing high school All-America, Fiona Lee, makes her way to Chapel Hill from Lexington, Ky, where she fenced at Bluegrass Fencers' Club, which is home to three-time Olympic Gold medalist Lee Keifer. Fiona Lee has shone on the international stage. She finished in the top 40 of the 2023 Paris Marathon and in the top eight in the World Cup in Lima, Peru, during the 2023-24 season.

Kaityln Zanga is a Tar Heel state native who competes for the Apex Fencing club. Besides fencing, Zanga has a passion for thrifting and secondhand fashion, posting pieces on Depop and Poshmark.

Jana Mohamed made her way to Chapel Hill from Cairo, Egypt, with her cat. Mohamed competed on the Egyptian National Fencing Team, winning multiple medals, including gold at the 2023 African Championships and the 2020 Cadet African Championships.

University of North Carolina Athletics

Players Mentioned

Dagny Johnson

Fiona Lee

Samantha Maryash

Jana Mohamed

Elizabeth Zigalo

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