Twelve Nittany Lion fencers will represent Penn State at the 2021 NCAA Fencing Championships hosted at the Bryce Jordan Center in University Park, Pa. from Mar. 25 – Mar. 28 under the direction of head coach Wes Glon.
With six women and six men individually qualifying for their respective events, Penn State has earned the maximum number of fencers possible for the tournament.
Senior Lodovica Bicego (Vincenza, Italy) and freshman standout Samantha Catantan (Quezon City, Philippines) will both represent the women's foil squad at the championship. Bicego is now a four-time NCAA qualifier, finishing seventh at the 2019 NCAA Championship and fifth at the 2018 NCAA Championship. This is Catantan's first time qualifying for an NCAA Championship.
Representing the men's foil squad are senior Sebastiano Bicego (Vincenza, Italy) and freshman Arwen Borowiak (Tauberbischofsheim, Germany). Just like his twin sister, Sebastiano is now a four-time NCAA Qualifier. He also competed in the 2018 NCAA Championships, finishing fifth overall. This is Borowiak's first time qualifying for an NCAA Championship. Freshman Aidan Johnson (Oceanport, N.J.) will serve as an alternate.
Qualifiers from the women's epee squad include freshman Kateryna Chorniy (Kyiv, Ukraine) and sophomore Axelle Wasiak (Vlaams-Brabant, Belgium). This is both Chorniy and Wasiak's first time qualifying for an NCAA Championship.
Junior Ryan Griffiths (Fair Lawn, N.J.) and sophomore Jonathan Piskovatskov (Houston, Texas) will represent the men's epee squad. Griffiths previously qualified and competed in the 2019 NCAA Championships, finishing 18th. Piskovatskov earned a spot at the 2020 NCAA Championships before the tournament was canceled by the NCAA due to the coronavirus pandemic. This will be his first time competing for a national championship.
Fencing for the women's saber squad are seniors Zara Moss (Cranberry Township, Pa.) and Kelli Wozniak (Westerville, Ohio). Moss, a four-time NCAA Qualifier, advanced to the title bout at both the 2018 and 2019 NCAA Championships. Moss finished second and earned All-American honors both times. Wozniak, the captain of the women's team, earned herself a spot at the 2020 NCAA Championships before the tournament was canceled by the NCAA. This will be her first time competing for a national championship. Senior Pauline Conscience (Paris, France) will serve as an alternate.
Senior Inti Farfan-Bayerl (Morrison, Colo.) and sophomore Clement Perrier (Allauch, France) will both fence for the men's saber squad at the tournament. Farfan-Bayerl, the men's team captain, qualified for the 2020 NCAA Championships last year before the event was canceled by the NCAA. This will be Farfan-Bayerl's first time competing for a national championship. Perrier also qualified for the 2020 NCAA Championships, but on behalf of his previous team at Wayne State. This will be Perrier's first time competing in a national championship and his first time competing for a Penn State championship. Sophomore Ethan Mullennix (San Francisco, Calif.) will serve as an alternate.
A link to the official NCAA qualifier release can be found here.
Fans can keep up with Penn State Fencing at GoPSUsports.com. Follow the team on Facebook at Penn State Fencing, on Twitter @pennstateFEN, and on Instagram @pennstatefen.
