UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- The Penn State Nittany Lion fencing team has announced its 2015-16 schedule, which is packed from October to March with Olympic qualifiers, national tournaments and international competition. The Nittany Lions will host three home events this season including the Garett Penn State Open, the Nittany Lion Cup and one home dual meet event. All three home dates will take place at the White Building.
Head Coach Wes Glon and his team are looking to finish the season with a return to the NCAA Championships in Boston to reclaim the first-place title. The Nittany Lions are coming into the season off of a strong second-place finish in last year’s NCAA championship.
"We are very excited to begin our 2015-2016 season. The team is looking strong, focused and healthy and the freshman class is very eager to learn and contribute,” said Glon. “As it is the case every year, the journey to NCAAs will be a long, arduous one and only the best will prevail. We are up to the challenge and we invite all our supporters to be there with us whether we fence at home or away. "
Penn State kicks off its season on the road in Richmond, Virginia, on Friday, Oct. 9, with Cadet Olympic Trials. The four-day qualifying tournament will run until Monday, Oct. 12. Penn State will return home to host the Nittany Lion Cup Open the following weekend from Saturday, Oct. 17, to Sunday, Oct. 18. The tournament is open to fencers of any age group and skill level and will begin at 10 a.m. each day.
After a bye weekend, the Nittany Lions will spend Halloween in the City of Brotherly Love for the 36th annual Temple Open. The two-day long tournament will begin at 8 a.m. each day and finish on Sunday, Nov. 1. Glon’s team will return to Happy Valley to host the 42nd-annual Garret Penn State Open at 8 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 7, and Sunday, Nov. 8 in the White Building.
The Nittany Lions head back on the road for a trip to Kansas City, Missouri, where they will represent the blue and white at the North American Cup. The junior, cadet and Y-14 competition will be held from Friday, Nov. 13, to Monday, Nov. 16.
Glon’s team will use the two-week Thanksgiving break to gear up for the second round of Olympic Trials in Baltimore, Maryland, at 8 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 4, to Monday, Dec. 7. The first weekend of December will be a busy one for the Nittany Lions, with fencers competing at both the Division I and II Olympic Trials and the team’s first collegiate away match. Sacred Heart will host the Nittany Lions at 9 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 6, along with Princeton, Harvard, New York University and Vassar.
Penn State looks to close out the first semester by competing at the Fencing World Cup in Boston, Massachusetts, on Saturday, Dec. 12, and Sunday, Dec. 13.
With the holiday break behind them, Glon’s squad kicks off another travel-heavy semester with fencers competing at the Division I/Junior North American Cup in St. Louis, Missouri, and at the Junior World Cup in Segovia, Spain. The competitions will be held from Friday, Jan. 8, to Monday, Jan. 11, and from Saturday, Jan. 9, to Sunday, Jan. 10, respectively.
The White Building welcomes the Nittany Lions the following weekend for their last home match of the season. Glon’s team will host the University of Pennsylvania, Temple, the University of North Carolina, Columbia, Haverford, Yale and Duke at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 16.
The Nittany Lions will travel to St. John’s for an away match at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 23. The Thunderbirds will also be hosting Columbia, Harvard, Ohio State and the University of North Dakota.
Penn State then heads into February with a two-day trip to Durham, North Carolina, where the team will square off against Duke, Brandeis, Johns Hopkins, Temple, the University of North Dakota and the University of North Carolina at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 6, to Sunday, Feb. 7. Only five days later the team will leave for Cleveland, Ohio, to compete in the Junior Olympics at 8 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 12, to Monday, Feb. 15.
The team will finish up regular season competition with a quick, one-day trip to Philadelphia. Temple will host the Nittany Lion’s final match at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 20. The Owls will also be hosting St. John’s, Princeton, the University of Pennsylvania, Brown and Stevens.
Penn State will look towards two post-season competitions: the Mid-Atlantic/South NCAA Regionals on Saturday, March 12, and the NCAA championships in Boston, Massachusetts on Thursday, March 24, to Sunday, March 27. The Nittany Lions are looking to finish the season strong and roll into the post-season with momentum that will help them reclaim their first-place title. Penn State is searching for its 14th national championship title, and its fourth in the last eight years.