Fencing
Dabrowa, Katarzyna
Katarzyna Dabrowa
- Title:
- Head Fencing Coach (Epee)
- 2025 MPSF Fencing Coach Of The Year
Katarzyna Dabrowa enters her second year as Air Force fencing head coach for the 2025-26 season. Dabrowa was named head fencing coach at Air Force, according to an announcement on April 1, 2024, from Director of Athletics Nathan Pine.
“We are thrilled to welcome Coach Katarzyna Dabrowa to the Air Force family,” Pine said. “She brings a wealth of experience to the Academy at both the international and NCAA championship level as an athlete as well as a coach. I’m confident she will continue to build our program and take us to new heights while serving as an excellent leader of character for our cadet-athletes.”
“I would like to thank Mr. Nathan Pine and Mr. Shondell Reed for this great opportunity and privilege of leading the fencing program at the Air Force Academy,” Dabrowa said. “I am honored and humbled to accept this important role in developing this nation’s future leaders. I look forward to working with the great men and women of USAFA, and hope to elevate the team into the national spotlight.”
In her first season, Dabrowa sent three fencers to the NCAA Championships and had two NCAA West Regional Gold Medalists in junior Omara Emara and sophomore Christina Watrall in the epee weapons. Watrall also earned MPSF women's epee gold medalist. For her efforts, Dabrowa was named MPSF Coach of the Year for the 2024-25 season.
Dabrowa comes to the Academy from Ohio State, where she was an assistant since 2018 eventually becoming the associate head coach in October 2021. Dabrowa was the youngest female assistant coach in NCAA Division I fencing when she was hired and competed for the Buckeyes from 2011-13. She was co-captain on the 2012 NCAA championship team and was the first Buckeye to win an NCAA title in women’s epee.
Dabrowa coached the epee squad and guided Oliver Shindler to an NCAA title in 2019 and Gabriel Feinberg to the 2022 national championship, while Paul Veltrup was the 2023 runner up. During her tenure, the Buckeyes have claimed a Midwest Fencing Conference and overall championship (2019), men’s and women’s MFC crowns (2020) and Central Collegiate Fencing Conference men’s and women’s trophies in 2021, 2022 and 2023. The Buckeyes recorded a sixth-place finish at the 2019 NCAA Championships and placed fifth at both the 2022 and 2023 events. Ohio State finished sixth in 2024 and had six All-American honorees.
In 2022, Dabrowa was selected as the USFCA men’s team collegiate assistant coach of the year award winner and the CCFC men’s team assistant coach of the year. That season, Ohio State qualified the maximum six men and six women to the NCAA Championships and won five of six CCFC squad titles, including all three men’s trophies. She was a finalist for the USFCA award in 2023.
She also carries a list of impressive accolades from her time as a student-athlete at Ohio State: 2012 NCAA women’s epee champion; 2012 co-captain for NCAA championship team; three-time first-team All-American (2011-13); 2013 Big Ten Medal of Honor finalist; three time academic all-Big Ten selection.
Dabrowa also gained experience on the international level as part of the Polish Senior National Team from 2006-12 after being a member of the Polish Junior National Team from 2003-06. Her international honors include gold medalist at U20 and U23 European Championships; silver medalist at U23 European Championships and U20 World Championships; bronze medalist at Cadet World Championships; three-time World University Games participant (2004-08).
Prior to her time at Ohio State, Dabrowa served as a program manager and epee fencing coach for Cannon Fencing Academy in Cincinnati from 2016-17. She also has experience in several different areas of collegiate athletics. Dabrowa spent time at Colorado State as an academic athletic coordinator for the men’s basketball program and worked in the student-athlete development department as an external relations assistant from 2015-16.
Dabrowa received her bachelor’s degree in psychology in 2013 and her master’s degree in sports management in 2015 from Ohio State. She worked in student-athlete services and event management as a graduate associate following her fencing career.
Dabrowa is married to Silki Cho, an Army West Point graduate and Army veteran, and they have two children, Maximilian and Maya.
Pronunciation Guide: Kah-tah-ZHUH-nah dohm-BRO-vah
Katarzyna Dabrowa enters her second year as Air Force fencing head coach for the 2025-26 season. Dabrowa was named head fencing coach at Air Force, according to an announcement on April 1, 2024, from Director of Athletics Nathan Pine.
“We are thrilled to welcome Coach Katarzyna Dabrowa to the Air Force family,” Pine said. “She brings a wealth of experience to the Academy at both the international and NCAA championship level as an athlete as well as a coach. I’m confident she will continue to build our program and take us to new heights while serving as an excellent leader of character for our cadet-athletes.”
“I would like to thank Mr. Nathan Pine and Mr. Shondell Reed for this great opportunity and privilege of leading the fencing program at the Air Force Academy,” Dabrowa said. “I am honored and humbled to accept this important role in developing this nation’s future leaders. I look forward to working with the great men and women of USAFA, and hope to elevate the team into the national spotlight.”
In her first season, Dabrowa sent three fencers to the NCAA Championships and had two NCAA West Regional Gold Medalists in junior Omara Emara and sophomore Christina Watrall in the epee weapons. Watrall also earned MPSF women's epee gold medalist. For her efforts, Dabrowa was named MPSF Coach of the Year for the 2024-25 season.
Dabrowa comes to the Academy from Ohio State, where she was an assistant since 2018 eventually becoming the associate head coach in October 2021. Dabrowa was the youngest female assistant coach in NCAA Division I fencing when she was hired and competed for the Buckeyes from 2011-13. She was co-captain on the 2012 NCAA championship team and was the first Buckeye to win an NCAA title in women’s epee.
Dabrowa coached the epee squad and guided Oliver Shindler to an NCAA title in 2019 and Gabriel Feinberg to the 2022 national championship, while Paul Veltrup was the 2023 runner up. During her tenure, the Buckeyes have claimed a Midwest Fencing Conference and overall championship (2019), men’s and women’s MFC crowns (2020) and Central Collegiate Fencing Conference men’s and women’s trophies in 2021, 2022 and 2023. The Buckeyes recorded a sixth-place finish at the 2019 NCAA Championships and placed fifth at both the 2022 and 2023 events. Ohio State finished sixth in 2024 and had six All-American honorees.
In 2022, Dabrowa was selected as the USFCA men’s team collegiate assistant coach of the year award winner and the CCFC men’s team assistant coach of the year. That season, Ohio State qualified the maximum six men and six women to the NCAA Championships and won five of six CCFC squad titles, including all three men’s trophies. She was a finalist for the USFCA award in 2023.
She also carries a list of impressive accolades from her time as a student-athlete at Ohio State: 2012 NCAA women’s epee champion; 2012 co-captain for NCAA championship team; three-time first-team All-American (2011-13); 2013 Big Ten Medal of Honor finalist; three time academic all-Big Ten selection.
Dabrowa also gained experience on the international level as part of the Polish Senior National Team from 2006-12 after being a member of the Polish Junior National Team from 2003-06. Her international honors include gold medalist at U20 and U23 European Championships; silver medalist at U23 European Championships and U20 World Championships; bronze medalist at Cadet World Championships; three-time World University Games participant (2004-08).
Prior to her time at Ohio State, Dabrowa served as a program manager and epee fencing coach for Cannon Fencing Academy in Cincinnati from 2016-17. She also has experience in several different areas of collegiate athletics. Dabrowa spent time at Colorado State as an academic athletic coordinator for the men’s basketball program and worked in the student-athlete development department as an external relations assistant from 2015-16.
Dabrowa received her bachelor’s degree in psychology in 2013 and her master’s degree in sports management in 2015 from Ohio State. She worked in student-athlete services and event management as a graduate associate following her fencing career.
Dabrowa is married to Silki Cho, an Army West Point graduate and Army veteran, and they have two children, Maximilian and Maya.
Pronunciation Guide: Kah-tah-ZHUH-nah dohm-BRO-vah
Dabrowa Interview Sept 9, 2025
Tuesday, September 09
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Friday, March 14
Air Force Fencers prepare for NCAA Tournament
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Katarzyna Dabrowa Interview - March 5th, 2025
Wednesday, March 05
