Duke fencing director of administration and recruiting Elizabeth Beguinet dies after fight with cancer

Elizabeth Beguinet, Duke fencing’s longtime director of administration and recruiting, died of cancer Saturday, per a team release Sunday afternoon.

Beguinet joined the Blue Devils in 1985 alongside her husband, Duke head coach Alex Beguinet, and was a cornerstone of the program. During her 37 years in Durham, Duke has earned its place among the most successful programs in the ACC and NCAA, with more than 100 Blue Devils reaching the national championships.

At Duke, Beguinet—who became a manager for the US Fencing Association's Coaches College staff in 1991—managed the team and oversaw program events. She was a manager at the 1991 Olympic Festival in Los Angeles, and a co-manager in 2006 for both the Junior/Cadet World Championship Team in Korea and the Senior World Championships in Italy.

“An enormous loss for the Duke Family,” Duke athletic director Nina King said Sunday afternoon via Twitter. “Elizabeth was an incredible woman who cared so deeply for our Duke fencers. Her unbreakable bond and partnership with Alex was beautiful. I am personally grateful for everything she taught me about fencing, always with a twinkle in her eye.”

Beguinet attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as a part-time student for 10 years, graduating in 2002 with a bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies in Mathematics, Sociology and Women Studies. 

She is survived by her husband, Alex, and daughter, Heather.