Fencing teams face tough competion

Women look to become Ivy champions Can you say, "Ivy League Champs?" Columbia, the league's perennial powerhouse and defending champion in women's fencing, has lately been stumbling in its efforts to utter these words while the Quakers are being given a chance to pronounce them loud and clear, if a win against the Lions this weekend comes to fruition. Penn (12-1, 3-0 Ivy League) has the only undefeated Ivy League record, while Columbia comes into Hutchinson Gym Saturday with a resume that has shown little achievement, and certainly hasn't backed up its former championship status. The Lions returned three of four starters -- senior Regina Chi, sophomores Zela Ante and Kelly Cook, but three time all-American Ann Marsh graduated in December. "These are all very capable fencers," Penn coach Dave Micahnik said of the Lion squad. "We have to respect them and fence hard. We expect to beat them, but we take nothing for granted." The Quakers were defeated in last season's bout with the Lions (0-6, 0-3). The repeated battle between these two teams for the Ivy title has led to a developing rivalry in the world of women's fencing. This year, Penn hopes once again become the Ivy champ. "We've fenced them before," Penn senior captain Anne Gaeta said. "They're strong, but not something to be especially worried about." Although confident, Micahnik and his squad are certainly not overlooking the importance of this win in the Ivy title hunt. However, the Quakers are not expecting a rout. Although Columbia has fallen to all of its Ivy opponents this season, its margins of defeat have ranged from only two to four on a 16-point scale. After their morning match, the Quakers will continue in action outside of the Ivies. Penn will go up against two of the nation's winningest and most respected fencing programs. Penn State (16-0), which boasts '92 and '93 NCAA Champions in senior Olga Chernyak and sophomore Olga Kalinovskaya, respectively, is in a league far removed from the Quakers. "There is no sense mincing words?Penn State is very, very strong," Micahnik said. "We have a shot if we can catch a break, but it's a long shot." But Penn has more to gain from fencing the Nittany Lions than it has to lose. A defeat may hurt the Quaker win-loss record, but the learning experience obtained from dueling with one of the best fencing teams in the country is far more valuable than any singular loss can be. "We just want to fence strong," Gaeta said. "It will be good practice and a good match to have before we get to regionals and NCAAs." But Penn State coach Immanuel Kaidanov knows the Quakers still pose a threat. "Penn is a very respectable team," Kaidanov said. "There's a history of matches going one way and then the other. We've won the last few, but it won't last forever. We just hope the change won't happen this year." After colliding with the Nittany Lions, Penn will challenge another undefeated powerhouse in national women's fencing. Notre Dame (22-0) is said to possess the top fencing squad in the entire Midwest. "We are going to have to focus on each opponent," Irish coach Yves Auriol said. "The stakes are high this weekend. It's possible for us to have an undefeated season and a high seed at NCAA championships." Leading the Notre Dame attack is Maria Panyi, who hails from Hungary and has compiled an extremely impressive personal-bout record of 38-1. "They are very good," Micahnik said. "I'd say they're probably comparable to Temple [which defeated Penn 9-7 earlier in the season.]" But for now, the Quakers are focusing primarily on a defeat of a still formidable, yet ignited Columbia squad. And if they finish the day with a victory against the Lions, their '92 reign as Ivy champions will return in '94, and the phrase "Ivy Champs" will be theirs to flaunt as they wish. Or in Penn fencing tradition, to keep humbly but proud.