BJ Goins
BJ Smiley Goins grew up in Aledo, Texas and has been involved with sports her entire life. She lettered in basketball, volleyball and track all four years of high school. She competed in intramural sports throughout college, (where she also first took fencing classes) and graduated with a BS in Radio/TV/Film. Coach Goins started her competitive fencing career in 1987 while living in Ft. Worth, studying under Jim Orr. She moved to Austin in 1992 and began training under Maître Eric Mallet.
During her peak competitive years, Goins won first place in Women's Foil in many of the Southwest Section's most prestigious tournaments, including the Poujardieu (1997, 2008), Longhorn (1991,1993,1995,1997), Van Buskirk(1995,1997), Masters (1993, 1994, 2001, 2002, 2003), Grand Prix (1994, 1997), Crescent City (1995, 1997), and Sooner State Games (1995, 1997, 1998) among others. Goins was the 1998 National Division II Champion in Women's Foil at the Summer National Championships held in Austin, Texas where she also placed third in the Division 1A Women's Foil and Division 1A Women's Épée, and was on the University of Texas Women's Foil Team which won second, the UT Women's Épée Team which tied for third and the 2nd place Six Weapon Relay Team.
In 1994, at the National Championships in Salt Lake City, Utah, Goins qualified for the Olympic Festival in St. Louis, where she fenced on the silver-medalist Women's Foil Team.
While foil has been her main weapon, Goins has also done well in épée, winning both Women's Foil and Women's Épée at the 1994 Barrera Era Open. She won the Women's Épée at the Longhorn (1992), the Kansas City Open (1994) and the Oak Alley Open (1994). She was the 1994 National Division II Champion in Women's Épée in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Goins was the local media coordinator, as well as part of the local organizing committee for the 1998 Summer National Championships. Goins was the Chairman of the Southwest Section of the USFA in 1994-1995 and again in 1997-1998, and Vice-Chairman 1990-1991. She established the Southwest Section Circuit in the 1994-1995 season, and won the Women's Foil Title during its inaugural season. Goins is responsible for fencing becoming part of the Games of Texas through the 1990s and was the fencing tournament organizer from 1991 to 1997.
Goins is married, with two daughters, and is a multi-sport coach, and a free-lance photographer.
