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Fencing
HONORS & AWARDS 2008 All-American Promising lefthander who adds tremendous physical presence (6-5, 195 pounds) to foil squad ... coming off an All-American freshman campaign ... intense and well-coached competitor who has trained at Rochester Fencing Center (same home club as ND senior women's foilist Adi Nott) ... has ability and upside to develop into one of the top collegiate foilists ... a difficult opponent due to his size and lefthandedness - plus great sense of timing off the touch, good technique and strong attacking skills ... experienced bouter who will fight to final point ... ranked 15th in the U.S. senior men's foil point standings (12/18/08). AS A FRESHMAN: An 11th-place finisher at the NCAA Championship, earning third-team All-America honors ... posted 12 wins at the NCAAs, including wins over Columbia's Sheriff Farrag and Ben Parkins of Ohio State ... finished as the runner-up at NCAA Midwest Regional ... went 5-1 in pool play at regionals, including a 5-2 win over Irish teammate Jakub Jedrkowiak ... earned the third seed in direct elimination ... advanced to final with wins over Detroit's Jamie Gawecki (15-5) and Jedrkowiak (15-11) ... then beat Jedrkowiak, 15-13, and teammate Steve Kubik, 15-12, in the semifinals ... downed in the final by Ohio State's Andras Horanyi, 15-14 ... posted an overall record of 47-11 (.810) in regular season bouts ... his 47 wins were the most on the foil squad ... went 14-0 at the Notre Dame Duals, helping the men's foilists to a 70-20 mark at the event ... posted an 8-4 record at the Northwestern Duals ... went 10-2 at the NYU Duals ... opened his collegiate dual-season career with a 8-3 mark at Air Force's Western Invite ... had impressive runner-up finish at Penn State Open in fall of 2007, with dramatic quarterfinal win over PSU's Alex Salsman (15-14) and 15-13 semifinal with Yale's Nate Botwinick before losing 6-15 final to Ohio State's Andras Horanyi ('07 NCAA champ). PREP & PERSONAL: Started fencing at age five, at the Rochester Fencing Center (which remains his training club) ... has been coached by Dr. Nat Goodhartz (a 2007 inductee into the USFA Fencing Hall of Fame) ... entered first national competition as nine year-old, placing 14th at U-10 North American Cup in South Bend, Ind. ... finished sixth overall in USFA's 2006-07 point standings for U.S. Junior National Team ... competed in several 2006-07 international tournaments: 28th in Madrid, Spain; 25th in Aix-En-Provence, France; and 55th in Come, Italy (also fenced at event in Modling, Austria) ... placed 14th at 2006 U-20 Summer Nationals (also 29th in overall men's foil bouts at that event) ... his other 2006-07 national events included third-place finish at Jr. Olympics (Columbus, Ohio), 10th in overall foil standings at North American Cup (N.A.C.) in Richmond Va., and 13th in U-20 bouting at N.A.C. in Albuquerque N.M. ... placed seventh overall at 2005-06 USFA Nationals (Atlanta), also finishing 19th overall at 2006 Summer Nationals, third at 2006 Jr. Olympics (Hartford, Conn.) and 16th overall at N.A.C. in Houston ... his 2004-05 results included taking third at D-1A Nationals (Sacramento, Calif.) and being member of third-place foil team at 2005 Summer Nationals (also in Sacramento) ... placed 14th at the 2005 Cadet (U-17) World Cup in Samaria, Slovakia ... was runner-up in D-2 bouting at 2004 N.A.C. in Overland Park, Kan. ... attended fencing camps at Westchester Fencing Club and the Northwest Fencing Center ... competed in youth soccer, baseball and basketball before concentrating on fencing ... graduated from Greece Athena High School, where his classmates included current Notre Dame baseball player Brian Dupra (one of the nation's top-rated pitching prospects in 2007) ... received the Presidential Award for Outstanding Academic Excellence ... member of National Honor Society ... served as treasurer of Future Business Leaders of America at GAHS ... graduated with 3.92 cumulative GPA ... has volunteered as youth counselor at sports Bible camp in Penfield, N.Y. ... his sister, Alli Marie Schirtz, was a five-time national epee champion, Jr. Olympic champ and member of 2002 U.S. Junior (U-20) and Cadet (U-17) National Teams ... his cousin, Chris Trick ('06), was recent hockey defenseman at Notre Dame while another cousin, James Russell, was All-America baseball pitcher at Villanova ... son of Charles and Jodi Schirtz ... full name is Zachary William Schirtz ... born Nov. 2, 1988, in Rochester, N.Y. ... enrolled in the Mendoza College of Business. |
    
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