ACADEMICS: Major - Nuclear Engineering
CAREER NOTES:
Academic: Academic All-Big Ten (2025, 2026)
Athletic:
2026-27 / GRADUATE SEASON:
2025-26 / SENIOR SEASON:
Ivakimov finished his senior season with an 18-14 record overall. To start off his season, he earned 15th-place overall in men’s epee at the 2025 Nikki Franke Invitational. He also earned notable wins against Ohio State and Notre Dame at the 2025 Elite Invitational.
2024-25 / JUNIOR SEASON:
Ivakimov did not compete during his junior season. Ivakimov was one of eight Nittany Lions who competed in the North American Cup in January of 2025 in Kansas City, Mo., finishing in 72nd place for men’s epee.
2023-24 / SOPHOMORE SEASON:
Ivakimov recorded a 3-0 overall record through his sophomore campaign on the men’s epee squad, including placing 11th at the Garret Open. Ivakimov placed 7th in men’s epee at the Nikki Franke Classic.
2022-23 / FRESHMAN SEASON:
PERSONAL:
Vasil Ivakimov was born in Wood Dale, Illinois, and attended Maine South Highschool. While in high school, Ivakimov earned the Midwest Conference Championships in both 2020 and 2021. Ivakimov returns to the men’s epee squad as he begins his Ph.D. journey in nuclear engineering. Ivakimov has competed for the Bulgarian National Fencing team since 2020, and has gone undefeated in home competitions during his collegiate career. Ivakimov chose to remain at Penn State beyond his undergraduate studies after being recruited by the late epee coach Alexei Sintchinov, where he saw the passion the team had for fencing, determining that Penn State was the best place to be. Parents are Tatiana Potekhina and Atanas Ivakimov… brother is Alexander Ivakimov.
CAREER STATS:
|
Season |
Wins |
Losses |
.PCT |
|
2022-23 |
|||
|
2023-24 |
3 |
0 |
.1000 |
|
2024-25 |
|||
|
2025-26 |
18 |
14 |
.562 |
|
2026-27 |
|
|
|
|
Career |
|
|
|