Honors & Accomplishments
U.S./International
• Multiple year member of U.S. National and U.S. World Championship Teams; Cadet, Junior and Senior
• Bronze medalist, 2001 Pan American Games
• World University Games Team Member
• Junior Olympic Champion
• Multiple year U.S. Nationals Team Champion
Collegiate
• Four-time NCAA All-American (1997-2000)
• Two-time First Team All-American
• Four-time First Team All-Ivy League (1997-2000), was the second to accomplish this feat at Columbia
• Multiple year team NCAA medalist
• Multiple year individual NCAA Medalist
• 183-15 collegiate bout career record: 92% win-rate
• 70-5 Ivy League bout career record; 93% win-rate
• Intercollegiate Fencing Association (IFA) Champion
• Twice elected team Captain
• Two-time team MVP
• Three-time Regional Team Champion
Coaching Experience
• Associate Head Coach, Cornell University (2022-present)
• Assistant Coach, Cornell University (2019-21)
• Coach and Head of Outreach Programs, Rochester Fencing Club (2011-19)
• Head Junior and Youth Coach, Fencing Academy of Nevada (2004-11)
Education
• B.A., Economics, Columbia University
At Cornell
In October 2019, Susan Jennings was named assistant coach at Cornell and was promoted to associate head coach in January 2022. In her four seasons on the sidelines, the Big Red has posted a 83-24 dual meet record with 19 wins over nationally ranked opponents. Four student-athletes have earned All-America honors as Cornell has made a national name for itself with a number of top 10 national rankings.
Prior To Cornell
Competitive fencing runs deep in Jennings’ blood. Jennings is the daughter of former Cornell head fencing coach and 1968 Australian Olympian, Graeme Jennings. Growing up watching her late father coach many top national fencers, Jennings' father coached at Cornell from 1985-91 and led the Cornell fencing team to a National Intercollegiate Women's Fencing Association Championship, a feat last accomplished decades prior.
After several years of playing every other sport available, and idolizing the women on her father’s Cornell fencing team, Jennings found her own passion for fencing beyond her fencing bloodline. Jennings started excelling nationally under her father as her coach and then began training at the National Women’s Foil Training Center in Rochester N.Y. with Olympic and U.S. National Women’s Foil coach, Buckie Leach (Leach remains the national and Olympic Women’s Foil Coach and a coaching mentor for Jennings).
While in Rochester, Jennings was continually ranked in the top three nationally in her age groups and top 10 in the Senior U.S. National rankings/point standings.
Though offered multiple athletic scholarships, Jennings chose to attend Columbia (athletic scholarships are not provided at Ivy League institutions) where she achieved record breaking collegiate results. Jennings continued to hone skills, Senior and Junior national ranking, and competitive knowledge making numerous U.S.national, Pan-Am, World University and U.S. World Teams during this time.
While attending Columbia, Jennings was coached by Simon and Irene Gershon (Olympic and U.S. National Men’s Foil Coach, U.S. Fencing Hall of Fame Member). She was an assistant coach and was mentored in that role by Simon and Irene in their developmental and Olympic class program at The New York Fencers Club.
Jennings then developed the competitive youth program at Fencing Academy of Nevada and was mentored by multiple-time foil Olympic Coach Yves Auriol a U.S. Fencing Hall of Fame member and retired long-time coach of the multiple-time NCAA Champion Notre Dame.
Students in Jennings' new development program received numerous fencing scholarships, admittance to top universities and national final finishes. True to form, Jennings continues to actively mentor these students and has maintained friendships as they’ve matured into adulthood.
When Jennings moved back to Rochester in 2011, she returned to the Rochester Fencing Club where she coached a diverse group of youth, cadet, junior and veteran fencers, former home of the US Women’s National Team. Her students range from top in their age groups nationally and those who are recruited by Division I universities to Veteran Fencers poised to make Veteran U.S. teams.
Community service has always been an integral part of Jennings' life. Since a teen she has been engaged in numerous community outreach programs including delivering food and tutoring the underserved, teaching fencing and life skills to youth at the Boys & Girls Club, and serving as an Advisory Board Member for The Open Door Mission Women’s and Children’s Center. Jennings is currently actively engaged in Community Outreach in Ithaca and spearheading opportunities for Cornell athletes to do the same.
Non-Fencing Professional Background
As a business professional, Jennings has C-Suite level experience in competitive research and analysis, global markets, hedge fund portfolio management and was the only female options trader in her firm on Wall Street. .
• Independent Business Consultant (2015 - present)
• Senior Research Team Leader, Blueshift Research, LLC (Jan, 2010 – Mar, 2016)
• CFO & Human Resources Director, Flower City Gaming (Nov, 2014 - Oct, 2015)
• Global Bids Program Manager/Competitive Intelligence Lead, Xerox Corporation (Dec, 2011 - Nov, 2014)
• Director of Primary Research/Portfolio Manager, Timescape Capital Management, LLC (Jan, 2006 - Dec, 2009)
• Equity Options Trader/Market Maker, Bear Wagner Specialists, (Nov, 2000 - Aug, 2005)
Updated June 2023
