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Nikki Franke

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Nikki Franke
Personal information
Born (1951-03-31) March 31, 1951 (age 73)
New York, New York, United States
Sport
CountryUnited States
SportFencing
EventFoil
College teamBrooklyn College
Now coachingTemple University

Nikki Franke (born March 31, 1951) is an American former fencer and fencing coach. She fenced for Brooklyn College, and was an All American. She competed in the women's individual and team foil events at the 1976 Summer Olympics, and fenced at the 1975 and 1979 Pan American Games, earning a silver medal in the individual competition in 1975, and a bronze medal in the team event in both years. As head coach of the Temple University women's fencing team, she was named the USFCA Coach of the Year in 1983, 1987, 1988, and 1991.

Brooklyn College

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Franke attended Brooklyn College, where she earned a B.S. with honors in 1972.[1][2] She chose the college for its fencing, and fenced for it for four years, from 1968 to 1972.[3] She was an All-American, and in her senior year she took third at the NIWFA collegiate championship.[2][4][5] In 1979 she was inducted into the Brooklyn College Hall of Fame.[2]

Competition

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She competed in the women's individual and team foil events at the 1976 Summer Olympics.[6] Franke competed at the 1975 and 1979 Pan American Games, earning a silver medal in the individual competition in 1975 and a bronze medal in the team event in both years. She qualified for the 1980 U.S. Olympic team but did not compete due to the U.S. Olympic Committee's boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, Russia. She was one of 461 athletes to receive a Congressional Gold Medal years later.[7]

Temple University

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She is currently the head coach of the Temple University women's fencing team.[8] Franke was named the USFCA Coach of the Year four times (in 1983, 1987, 1988, and 1991).[9] Franke received a master's degree in Health Education from Temple in 1975 and completed the doctoral program in 1988. She recently retired as an associate professor in Temple University's Department of Public Health.[10] In the 2017–2018 season. she reached a significant milestone with getting her 800th victory at Temple on February 4 at Northwestern. In her 46 years as the head coach of the woman's foil she compiled a record of 807–242–1. While leading the fencers to 46 postseason appearances that include 22 straight NIWFA championships titles.[10]

Black Women In Sport Foundation

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She is one of the co-founders of the foundation along with Tina Sloan Green, Alpha Alexander, and Linda Greene. It's a non-profit foundation that is based in Philadelphia that encourages black women and girls to participate in all areas of sport such as coaching and the administration of it.[11]

References

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  1. ^ "Nikki Franke, Ed.D. | College of Health Professions and Social Work". Chpsw.temple.edu. Archived from the original on October 29, 2013. Retrieved October 27, 2013.
  2. ^ a b c "Temple University Athletics – 2011–12 Women's Fencing Coaching Staff". Owlsports.com. October 21, 2002. Retrieved October 27, 2013.
  3. ^ Walter, John C.; Iida, Malina (April 22, 1994). Better Than the Best: Black Athletes Speak, 1920–2007 (V Ethel Willis White ... ISBN 9780295990538. Retrieved October 27, 2013.
  4. ^ John C. Walter, Malina Iida (2010). Better Than the Best: Black Athletes Speak, 1920–2007. University of Washington Press. p. 187. ISBN 9780295801698. Retrieved October 27, 2013. U.S. Fencing Coaches Association.
  5. ^ "Nikki Franke is a true fencing legend". ESPN. February 26, 2011. Retrieved October 27, 2013.
  6. ^ "Nikki Franke Olympic Results". sports-reference.com. Archived from the original on April 18, 2020. Retrieved April 16, 2011.
  7. ^ Caroccioli, Tom; Caroccioli, Jerry (2008). Boycott: Stolen Dreams of the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games. Highland Park, IL: New Chapter Press. pp. 243–253. ISBN 978-0942257403.
  8. ^ 2011–12 Women's Fencing Coaching Staff, retrieved July 18, 2013
  9. ^ John C. Walter, Malina Iida (2010). Better Than the Best: Black Athletes Speak, 1920–2007. University of Washington Press. p. 187. ISBN 9780295801698. Retrieved October 27, 2013. U.S. Fencing Coaches Association.
  10. ^ a b "Dr. Nikki Franke - Women's Fencing Coach". Temple University Athletics. Retrieved October 3, 2019.
  11. ^ "Black Women in Sport Foundation". Black Women in Sport Foundation. Retrieved October 22, 2019.
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