STATE COLLEGE, Pa., March 19, 2002 - The Penn State men's and women's fencing teams will travel to Drew University in Madison, N.J., this Thursday to begin competition in the NCAA Championships. The Nittany Lions will vie for their seventh National Championship in the last eight years and their ninth in school history.

Penn State will look to exact revenge for last year's runner-up finish to St. John's, whose men's team is currently ranked No. 3 in the nation, while its women sit on top of the national rankings.

The Lion fencers are coming off a dominant performance in the Mid Atlantic/South Regional, which also took place at Drew University less than two weeks ago. The men's team qualified the maximum number of six starters and three alternates for this weekend's NCAA Championships, while the Lady Lions also garnered six starting positions to go along with two alternates. These 17 athletes will meet the best fencers in the nation as they strive for team and individual national titles.

Both Penn State squads had their usual stellar regular seasons again this year. The men are currently ranked No. 2 in the United States Fencing Coaches Association's final poll after putting together a 16-0 dual meet record, marking their first undefeated season since 1997. The Lady Lions are sporting an identical No. 2 national ranking following their 17-1 regular season campaign. Their only setback came to the aforementioned Red Storm in the final dual meet of the season.

The Nittany Lions will be represented in the men's foil by sophomore Nonpatat Panchan (Bangkok, Thailand) and freshman Ian Schlaepfer (Rohnert Park, Calif.), who enter the Championships with nearly identical individual dual meet records of 36-5 and 34-3, respectively. They will be supported by sophomore Joe Brown (Herndon, Va.), who peaked in the Regionals to secure an alternate spot after going 11-6 during the dual meet season.

In the men's saber, the Lions will send sophomore standouts Alex Weber (Frieburg, Germany) and Amir Rahimi (Plano, Texas) as the starters. They cruised through the dual meets to finish with records of 20-1 and 29-7, respectively. They will be backed by proven junior Wyatt Kasserman (Peapack, N.J.), who put together a very solid dual meet record of 30-12 and just narrowly missed a starting spot for the Championships.

In the men's epee, senior captain Daniel Landgren (Bjuv, Sweden) and All-American sophomore Adam Wiercioch (Gliwice, Poland) will battle from the starting spots after going 33-14 and 38-8, respectively, in the dual meets. Freshman Ryan Wangner (Garden City, N.Y.) defied his 6-7 dual meet record to steal the alternate spot with a remarkable performance at the Regionals.

The Lady Lions will have a youthful representation in the women's foil, as they send talented freshman Meredith Chin (Wynnewood, Pa.) and All-American sophomore Marta Grochal (Poznan, Poland) as the starters. The duo finished in first and second place at the Regionals after compiling dual meet records of 38-9 and 27-5, respectively. Walk-on freshman Rachel Smith (Pittsburgh, Pa.) went 22-19 in the dual meets before stepping up at the Regionals to secure an alternate position.

In the women's saber, Penn State will be represented by All-American sophomore Heather Brosnan (Portland, Ore.) and veteran senior Stephanie Tam (Coram, N.Y), who amassed dual meet records of 27-10 and 37-8, respectively. They will be supported by sophomore Meredith Steyer (Topsfield, Mass.), who will fill the alternate position after going 35-8 in a very solid dual meet season.

In the women's epee, the Lady Lions will send two very talented and experienced players in senior captain and three-time NCAA Medalist Stephanie Eim (Hendersonville, Tenn.) and previous National Champion Jessica Burke (Upper Marlboro, N.J.). Eim is sporting a nearly perfect 41-1 dual record, while Burke is close behind with a 37-7 mark. The women's epee was the only weapon in which Penn State did not qualify an alternate in addition to two starters.

Along with defending National Champion St. John's, Notre Dame also appears to be a hurdle Penn State must overcome on its road to a national title. The Fighting Irish are ranked No. 1 in the men's poll and No. 3 in the women's rankings.

The Championships will commence with the women's tournament on Thursday and Friday. The men's tournament will be featured on Saturday and Sunday, and the national champion will be decided based on the combined finishes of each school's men's and women's squads.