High expectations awaits men as they open the season With Dave Micahnik at the helm, the Penn women's fencing team has 40 years of experience at its disposal to mold together a team of budding superstars and seasoned veterans. And having spent a good chunk of its winter break in a week-long training camp under Micahnik's tutelage, the Quakers are well-prepared and confident entering their regular season opener at 11 a.m., Saturday in the Weightman Gymnasium. Micahnik's coaching philosophy emphasizes the team rather than the individual. Practice sessions are filled with words of encouragement between teammates. "I really enjoyed the week-long practice camp we had before winter break because we really seemed to develop a sense of team unity," freshman Tamara Hancock said. "This is the first time that I have been involved in a team fencing situation, and the camp helped me to better understand my role as a member of a team." Hancock, a nationally ranked freshman, joins first-team all-Ivy sophmore Anastasia Gunzburg on the epee squad, which should be Penn's strongest event. The foil team is led by senior Megumi Sakae, who was ranked No. 1 in the Ivy League last year, and classmate Sarah Johns, a second-team all-Ivy selection last year.
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