STATE COLLEGE, Pa., February 28, 2004 The No. 3 Penn State men¡¯s fencing team and the No. 2 women¡¯s fencing squad closed out the regular season with victories over Rutgers today in dual meet action at the White Building. The men improved to 12-2 for the season, while the ladies moved to 14-2.

The third-ranked men¡¯s team topped the Scarlet Knights by a 20-7 margin on the strength of a men¡¯s epee squad that defeated Rutgers 8-1. Three-time All-American Adam Wiercioch (Gliwice, Poland) led the charge in the epee with three wins and no losses. The men¡¯s foil and men¡¯s saber squads both registered 6-3 victories over Rutgers. Freshman Ian Hamilton (New York, N.Y.) posted a 2-0 effort in the foil, while classmate Ian Farr (Portland, Ore.) continued to shine in the saber with a 3-0 showing today.

The women¡¯s team, which is tied with Ohio State at No. 2 in the United States Fencing Coaches Association poll, routed Rutgers, 23-4. Penn State¡¯s remarkable women¡¯s foil squad was flawless in a 9-0 win over the Scarlet Knights, giving up only 15 points in the nine bouts. Senior Marta Grochal (Poznan, Poland) garnered the most wins in the foil with three. The women¡¯s epee and women¡¯s saber teams both notched 7-2 wins over Rutgers. Defending National Champion Katarzyna Trzopek (Warsaw, Poland) and junior Andrea Wine (Rocky River, Ohio) went 2-0 in the epee, while impressive freshmen Sophia Hiss (Oklahoma City, Okla.) and Laura Hillstrom (Gaithersburg, Md.) matched the feat in the saber.

Penn State will now turn its attention to the upcoming Mid-Atlantic/South Regionals, which are scheduled for March 13. The regionals will determine which fencers qualify for the NCAA Championships March 25-28.