STATE COLLEGE, Pa., March 6, 2003 The Penn State fencing team will host the Mid-Atlantic/South Regionals this Saturday in the Mary Beaver White Building, with action scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. The event, which is expected to draw nearly 180 fencers from 16 schools, will determine which athletes advance to the NCAA Championships, scheduled for March 20-23 at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo.

There are 42 championship berths up for grabs between the six weapons, and each school can qualify a maximum of two athletes and one alternate per weapon, for a total of 12 qualifiers and six alternates overall. A fencer qualifies for a trip to the Championships based on his or her initial seeding, which is based on season record and strength of schedule, and respective finish at the regional event. The initial seeding accounts for 40% of the points toward qualification, while the respective finish accounts for the other 60%. Penn State will enter the maximum of four athletes per weapon, all with a legitimate chance at qualifying.

The Lady Lions are led in the women¨ªs epee by freshman phenom Katarzyna Trzopek (Warsaw, Poland) and 2000 National Champion Jessica Burke (Upper Marlboro, N.J.). Trzopek has won her last 28 individual bouts to push her astounding season record to 44-3, while Burke, a senior, is close behind with a 33-6 mark of her own. Freshman Laura Bocage (Glen Gardner, N.J.) and senior Lauren Wangner (Garden City, N.J.) will also compete at the Regionals. Bocage saw somewhat limited action in her first collegiate season, posting a 13-8 record, while Wangner was a steady contributor for the women¨ªs squad with a 15-21 standing.

In the women¨ªs foil, another talented freshman looks to have a good chance at qualifying, as Annekathrin Donath (Touber, Germany) brings a 25-4 record into the event after prevailing in 14 of her last 15 bouts. Sophomore Meredith Chin (Wynnewood, Pa.), will look to repeat as the regional champion after posting a superb 35-8 record during the dual meet season. Fellow sophomores Laura Yee (Huntington, N.Y.) and Rachel Smith (Pittsburgh, Pa.) will also challenge for an invitation to the Championships. Yee recently finished at 20-11 for the season, while Smith, an alternate at last year¨ªs Championships, finished at 19-15.

The women¨ªs saber squad will be represented by four very solid athletes, who have combined for a 114-39 record this season. Two-time All-American junior Heather Brosnan (Portland, Ore.) will attempt to top her runner-up finish at last year¨ªs Regionals after concluding the dual meet season at 38-10. Senior Austin O¨ªNeill (Pound Ridge, N.Y.), who won the silver at the Garret Open in the fall, has been equally effective this season, going 35-12 through the 18 duals. Junior Meredith Steyer (Topsfield, Mass.) went 29-15 through the season and is determined to qualify after falling just short in last year¨ªs Regionals. Senior captain Jessica Clark (Springfield, Pa.) looked impressive in limited action this season, finishing at 12-2 in dual action.

Two-time All-American junior Adam Wiercioch (Gliwice, Poland), who finished fourth at least year¨ªs NCAA Championships, will lead the men¨ªs epee squad at the Regionals. Wiercioch won his last 10 bouts of the season to finish at 32-7 for the year. Sophomore Ethan Muri (Altoona, Pa.) also posted a winning record, going 19-13 through the dual meet season, while classmate Ryan Wangner (Garden City, N.J.) came in just below .500 at 13-16. Alexander Bruscke (North Caldwell, N.J.) will see his first regional action after posting a 5-7 mark through his freshman campaign.

Junior Non Panchan (Bangkok, Thailand) will take the next step in defending his men¨ªs foil National Championship this weekend, after going 25-6 in somewhat limited action this season. Chris Miller (Salina, Kan.) recently wrapped up a remarkable freshman season that saw him lead the men¨ªs foil squad in wins with a 30-10 record. All-American sophomore Ian Schlaepfer (Rohnert Park, Calif.) also put together a fine dual meet season with a 28-12 standing. Fellow sophomore Jacob Clark (Waukesha, Wisc.) will also be competing after going 6-3 in limited action.

Much like their female counterparts, the representatives of the men¨ªs saber squad look to be extremely competitive at the Regionals. Junior captain Alex Weber (Frieburg, Germany), who won last year¨ªs Regionals title, is primed to improve upon his fourth place finish at the National Championships. After posting 23 wins in an incredible undefeated season this year, his career record in Penn State duals now stands at 43-1. Standout freshman Marten Zagunis (Beaverton, Ore.) has been right on Weber¨ªs heels all season, posting a 37-4 record in his first year of collegiate action. All-American junior Amir Rahimi (Plano, Tex.) put up quite an impressive record as well, going 31-7 in dual action. Senior Noah Jacobson (St. Paul, Minn.) saw less action than his teammates but still registered a solid 10-6 record.

The Penn State fencers will be under the direction of world-renowned 21st-year head coach Emmanuil Kaidanov. After 21 seasons at Penn State, he has amassed an astounding combined record of 546-38-1. This season was right up to par for Kaidanov, as the women¨ªs squad finished undefeated at 18-0, and the men suffered only one loss to finish at 14-1.