In the final round of the women’s portion of the NCAA Fencing Championship, Penn State’s freshman Margherita Guzzi Vincenti claimed her first National Title in the epee this past Friday.

After transferring to Penn State in January, Guzzi Vincenti accumulated twelve wins prior to the start of the championship. Entering in second place, she added an additional seven victories  to her record and earned a spot in the semifinals, where Guzzi Vincenti defeated Notre Dame’s Courtney Hurley.

She then went on to defeat Harvard’s Olympic Noam Mills for the National Title in the final epee dual. Guzzi Vincenti, originally from Milan, Italy, was one of twelve fencers sent to represent Penn State in the championship held at Harvard.

The rules of fencing change dramatically depending on the weapon that is wielded. An epee is similar in shape to a foil, but has a stiffer and heavier blade. It is employed using a thrusting technique. In addition, the target area, or the contact area for which points can be scored, is expanded to include the entire body of the fencer.

While many students may not realize it, Penn State has developed one of the most successful fencing programs in the nation. Over the past 19 years, Penn State has taken first place in the national championship eleven times and trained eight Olympic fencers.

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