HAVERFORD, Pa. – The United States Fencing Coaches Association (USFCA) announced the recipients of the 2025 All-Region Awards on Monday night, with the Haverford men's program well represented. Sophomore Eric Chen earned First-Team All-Mid-Atlantic/South honors while also securing Division III recognition in men's epee. Junior Michael Pyo and first-year Dean Myers were both named Division III All-Region selections in foil.
Chen, from Ellicott City, Maryland, was the only Division III fencer to qualify for the NCAA National Championships in men's epee—a significant achievement for both him and the program. The last Haverford men's epeeist to reach nationals was Remy Olson in 2007-08, while Ben Van Son finished 21st nationally in foil during the 2009-10 season. Chen's fourth-place finish at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic/South Regional marked the highest regional result for a Haverford fencer in any weapon and the program's first regional final appearance since 2017.
A Division III All-America honorable mention last season, Chen entered the first round at regionals as the 17th seed, winning four bouts in his opening pool before adding two more in the second round. Advancing as the 18th and final seed, he finished 11th in the third round, becoming one of just 12 fencers to reach the regional final. There, he rebounded from four early losses to secure seven wins, edging North Carolina's Brayden Gyure on indicators for a fourth-place finish.
In foil, Myers, of San Francisco (16th) and Pyo, of Morristown, N.J. (18th) delivered strong performances at the NCAA regional, each reaching the third round before falling just short of the regional final. The duo also stood out at the MACFA Championships, helping lead the foil squad to its second consecutive MACFA silver. Haverford tied Johns Hopkins with 29 wins in 36 bouts, but Hopkins claimed the title with an 82-78 edge on indicators. Myers went 9-3 in the "A" pool, while Pyo posted the same record in the "B" pool.
Chen will continue his season into the NCAA Championships on Thursday in University Park, Pa. and the campus of Penn State. Each weapon features 24 participants competing in a round-robin format of five-touch bouts. The top four finishers in each weapon will then advance to a single-elimination bracket, fencing 15-touch bouts to determine the national champions.
A team's placement in the championship will be based on points earned by individual fencers, with one point awarded for each victory. Competition in University Park, Pa. begins at 9 a.m. on Thursday, March 20, with live coverage of the first day on the PSU.tv YouTube followed by the second day available on ESPN Plus.