Tom Nagy has been a fencer since 1975, and he has loved every minute of it. Starting as a Freshman at Cleveland State in 1975, Tom learned the fundamentals and fine points of fencing thru his Coaches; Master John Szent Kiraly, Master William Reith , Master Kai Czarnecki, and CSU Assistant Coach Doug Phillips. As a freshman, Tom won the 1st Annual CSU Men's Intramural Fencing Championship. Then, as a sophomore, Tom (and On Target Epee Coach Rich Hamper) taught a beginning fencing class. Tom taught fencing for 8 quarters at CSU, and in the meantime earned 4 letters, won the "Most Improved Fencer of the Year" Award during his sophomore year, was Co Captain during his junior year, and ended his CSU career with a 129 wins and 60 losses record. Tom was part of the Vikings 1979 1980 season, when they took 4th place at the NCAA Fencing Championships. This still is the highest any CSU Sports Team has ever reached at a National NCAA Championship.
A long time volunteer coach at CSU, Tom was the Assistant Fencing Coach at CSU under Head Coach Bill Reith for 3 years. Tom also served 2 years as the Bout Committee Chairman for the Northern Ohio Division of the USFA. In that capacity, Tom was responsible for set up, running and tearing down all local fencing tournaments. Tom was awarded the Developmental Coach of the Year award for 1999 from the fencers of the Northern Ohio Division of the USFA. Tom Nagy makes his home in North Ridgeville with his wife Kim Bregar-Nagy.
Our most experienced Coach, Rich has been an Epee and Foil fencer since 1963. Rich, as a first year Varsity letterman, represented Case Institute of Technology at the 1965 NCAA Fencing Championships. As a 19th place finisher in Epee, he helped Case earn a 10th place National ranking, the highest ever for a Case Institute Fencing Team. In the fall of 1965, he transferred to Cleveland State University, where he fenced Epee, lettering every year until he graduated. In 1968, he represented CSU at the NCAA Fencing Championships, finishing 24th in Epee.
After graduation, Rich joined the Air Force as an Officer. While stationed at Syracuse, NY in 1969, he helped coach the Syracuse University Epee squad. In 1970-71, while stationed in Alaska, he conducted Foil and Epee classes at Campion AFS. In 1974, Rich returned to CSU to complete his Master's Degree in Applied Mathematics and to assistd Maestro John Szent Kiraly as Epee Coach for the CSU Epee Squad. During this time, Rich actively competed in AFLA/USFA competitions, attending his last National Championship in 1979. In 1986, he retired as a competitive fencer and coach, after having coached 11 straight CSU Epee squads to winning seasons.
In 1993, Rich left his Statistician/Systems Analyst position at Centerior Energy to pursue a career as a science fiction writer. He lives in North Ridgeville with his wife Fran.
In December 1996, Rich was coaxed out of retirement, by ON TARGET Head Coach Tom Nagy to become ON TARGET's Epee Coach. He is retired from competition, but his coaching style and insights into the psychology of fencing competition make him a valuable and interesting addition to our coaching staff.
Derek Wilkinson has been fencing since the age of 16. In college he fenced foil and épée in the Kent fencing club. He later went on to coach and run the Kent fencing club for several years on campus and off-campus along with his spouse Heather Wilkinson. Derek medaled in over 55 local and regional tournaments, mostly in épée,between the years 1998 and 2014. Notably he won first place at the 2006 Fencers Attacking Diabetes tournament, second place in men’s épée at the Great Lakes sectional championship in 2006, 11th out of 78 at the Isle of Wight United Kingdom national circuit event in 2004, and 64th out of 199 at the 2005 Pittsburgh Division I épée North American cup. Derek has held an “A” rating in épée from 2009 through 2015.