COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., February 16, 2003 ¨C Marten Zagunis (Beaverton, Ore.) and Chris Miller (Salina, Kan.), two of Penn State fencing¡¯s sensational freshmen, posted impressive performances on a national stage this weekend at the Junior Olympics at the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs.

Zagunis claimed the bronze medal in the men¡¯s saber competition, successfully dueling his way to the medalist rounds through a field of 185 young men. Zagunis is in the midst of a great rookie season with the Nittany Lions, as he currently boasts a 30-4 record in dual meet bouts. His 30 wins are the most on the men¡¯s squad.

Miller registered a remarkable performance of his own in the men¡¯s foil, finishing between fifth and eighth place in the field of 230, putting him just out of medal contention. Like Zagunis, Miller has also raised eyebrows with his freshman success this season. He currently sports a 24-8 standing in dual meet bouts, which ranks him as best on the men¡¯s foil team.

Penn State head coach Emmanuil Kaidanov was pleased with the performances of his young stars. ¡°They did a pretty good job,¡± said Kaidanov. ¡°In general, it was a satisfactory result.¡±

The No. 2 Penn State men¡¯s team (11-1) and the top-ranked women¡¯s squad (13-0) will return to action this Saturday, as they travel to Columbia University-Barnard College for their final dual meet of the season.