M. Fencing excited about laid-back Alumni Meet

Olympians and former NCAA champions will highlight the field for Penn's annual renuion. This Saturday, the Penn men's fencing team will face different opponents than those the Quakers are used to, as they take on their predecessors in Red and Blue. The annual Alumni Meet will consist of friendly the Penn team and all alumni who want to compete. "It's a linking of generations," Penn coach Dave Micahnik said. "We invited back all the previous fencers to come back and fence. Some still fence, most don't." Micahnik remembers in particular one Alumni Meet in which the NCAA-winning fencing class of 1986 returned to Penn. Though most of the alumni fencers had long retired from competition, Micahnik recalls that they "still blew away varsity." Though some fencers have not picked up their weapons since graduation and the competition is strictly friendly, the meet should broaden the Quakers' current perspective. "Every team thinks they've invented everything they're doing," Micahnik said. "They should know better." Penn sophomores Jim Benson and Scott Eriksen both expect the meet to be fun and laid-back. "It's not a meet per se, we just go out and have a good time," Eriksen said. "It's a good chance to get to know some of the guys who were there before us." "You're not really fencing to shut [the alumni] out," Benson said. "You have a good time with it." Present at this year's meet will be '96 All-America epeeist and foilist Nathan Anderson and '77 national fencer Margo Szabunia. Also, 1953 graduates Bob Parmacek and Frank Bertone -- who helped Penn win Eastern championship team titles in the '50s -- will be in attendance.