March 6, 2003

The University of North Carolina Fencing team will compete this Saturday, March 8, in the NCAA Atlantic-South Regionals on the campus of Penn State University. Nearly 180 fencers from 16 schools, will fence for an opportunity to advance to the NCAA championships, scheduled for March 20-23 at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

There are 42 championship berths up for grabs between the six weapons, and each school can qualify a maximum of two athletes and one alternate per weapon, for a total of 12 qualifiers and six alternates overall. A fencer qualifies for the championship rounds based on his or her initial seeding, which is based on season record and strength of schedule, and respective finish at the regional event. The initial seeding accounts for 40% of the points toward qualification, while the respective finish accounts for the other 60%.

According to head Fencing Coach Ron Miller "this year the seedings will be announced one half hour before the competition begins. This is important because we'll have an opportunity to challenge them if necessary. And I think right now Wesley Newkirk and Ivona Puszkarczuk will have the best seeds."

The UNC athletes competing in this weekends Regional include in Women's Sabre Liz Rainbolt, Fiki Mpofu, and Carolyn Hack. Also, in Women's Epee, Ivana Ferrer and Laura Hays. Ivona Puszkarczuk will be the Tar Heels sole fencer in Women's Foil,. On the Men's side, Matt McMurray, C.J. Webster and Steve Piantadosi will fence in the Foil competition. Fencing Epee will be Seth Axford, Josh Webb, and Matt Jednak while fencing Sabre will be Wesley Newkirk and Bryan Jones.

The one day event is being hosted by the Penn State Fencing team at the Mary Beaver White Building. The first bout begins at 9 a.m.