| Captain Marten Zagunis will lead the Penn State men's fencers into action this weekend when Penn State hosts the Garret Open on Saturday and Sunday in the White Building. Action begins at 8:30 a.m. each day. |
State College, Pa. - October 18, 2005 - The Penn State men's and women's fencing teams will open up their 2005-06 seasons by hosting the 2006 Penn State Garret Open. Action in the two-day event begins Saturday with the women's weapons and concludes Sunday with the men's competition.
Head coach Emmanuil Kaidanov's women's fencers will compete in the foil at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, the epee at 10 a.m. and the saber at noon. Kaidanov's men's teams will compete on Sunday, with the foil starting at 8:30 a.m., the epee at 10 a.m. and the saber at noon. All competition will take place in the Penn State Fencing Rooms in the White Building on campus.
Last year, Penn State claimed two of the individual titles. Non Panchan won the men's foil and Katarzyna Trzopek won the women's epee crown. Other winners in 2004 were Adam Crompton, Ohio State, in the men's saber; Soren Thompson, Princeton, in the men's epee; Hannah Thompson, Ohio State, in the women's foil; and Valerie Providenza, Notre Dame, in the women's saber.
Penn State has been the dominant force in NCAA fencing for the better part of two decades. The Nittany Lions have won nine national championships since 1990 and have been tops in the country or national runners-up in all but one the last 16 years. Penn State will return to action on Nov. 5-6 at the Temple Open.