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Kim Linton will have a chance to fence against her father at this weekend's Alumni Meet. (Michael Weissman/DP File Photo)

This Saturday, the Penn women's fencing team will get the chance to cross swords with some competitors who know first hand what it's like to be a member of the Red and Blue. The alumni of the Penn fencing program will return to Hutchinson Gym to challenge the current Quakers team in the annual Alumni Meet. This is Penn's final competition before the official start of their 2001 season in January. Headlining the field of talent alumni set to compete are Margo Szabunia and Jane Hall Carter, both former All-Americans. Szabunia was also a U.S. National medalist in foil and epee, while Carter made the National team with the foil. The format of the meet is informal and depends largely on which alumni show up. Undergraduates are matched against alumni, each fencing as many times as possible. "If the undergraduates do not beat the alumni, I would be astonished. In fact, dismayed!" Penn fencing coach Dave Micahnik said with a laugh. "But a lot of the alumni who come back still fence competitively. Occasionally, they do teach the undergraduates some humility." For the current Quakers team, the Alumni Meet represents not only an opportunity to fence some of the Red and Blue's former stars, but also to reunite with old teammates and -- most importantly -- to have some fun. Sophomore Kim Linton is looking forward to fencing one alumnus in particular -- her dad. "It's really nice to see how the program has evolved and to see how the alumni are still involved in the fencing program," Linton said. Micahnik is one person who knows the importance of continued involvement in the Penn program, since he himself was a member of the Penn team. A 1959 graduate of Penn, Micahnik was a national champion and competed in three Olympics as a fencer before beginning a career in the coaching ranks. After a long preseason and a lot of training, the Quakers are nearly ready for their season to begin. But first they must face off against some talented challengers. Pitting experience against youth, the Alumni Meet promises to be full of intrigue and fun.

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