Dec. 11, 2009

CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Cleveland State Department of Athletics and its fans are mourning the loss of former head fencing coach Jim Sager.

Sager passed away on Saturday (Dec. 5) at the age of 56.

Sager joined the fencing program as an assistant coach in 1999, taking over the head coaching duties following the 2000-01 campaign. He retired following the 2007-08 season.

The 2005 NCAA Midwest Region Fencing Coach of the Year, Sager helped lead the men's foil unit to a second place finish at the Midwest Conference Championships that season, placing behind eventual National Champion Ohio State.

He led the squad to a 23-4 regular season record, guiding foilist Mike Merker to a berth in the NCAA Championships, while six members of the men's and women's teams earned all-region accolades.

"If coach Sager didn't take over the program when he did, I don't think we would have a program today," current CSU head fencing coach Andy Tulleners said. "He always put the student-athletes first and did what was best for them, helping mold them into model citizens.

"When I was named the head coach at CSU, I didn't feel like I was replacing coach Sager, rather continuing his legacy. He taught me so much, including how to build a program and make sure the student-athletes enjoy their time in college."

Sager also served as an assistant coach at his alma mater, the University of Maryland, while assisting at various high schools in the Washington D.C. area.

A four-year letterwinner (1971-75) at the University of Maryland, Sager earned All-America honors following the 1972-73 campaign.

He was chosen as the team captain and most valuable fencer his senior year, ranking ninth in the nation. In four seasons at epee for the Terrapins, he earned All-Atlantic Coast Conference honors from 1972-75.

He received his bachelor's degree from Maryland in 1975.

Sager also acquired national and international honors for fencing epee. He was a two-time gold medalist in the under-20 epee Champion DC AFLA, finished seventh in the 1972 Junior Olympics and was a two-time gold medalist in the Cherry Blossom Open.

He was ranked as a Class A AFLA Fencer in epee and won numerous other medals in regional and local tournaments. Internationally, Sager was an epee quarterfinalist at the Martini Rossi Invitational.

Services for Sager were held earlier on Friday.

Memorial donations can be made to the Cleveland State University Foundation for Fencing Funds, in honor of Jim Sager.