Jan. 20, 2006
The Notre Dame men’s and women’s fencing teams – boosted by possibly the best collection of overall sabre talent in all of collegiate fencing – will be taking aim at the Notre Dame fencing program’s eighth NCAA team title in 2006, looking to become the first repeat champion since 2000.
The annual quest to return to the NCAA’s top podium will be built on the foundation of a solid group of sabre fencers. Junior Valerie Providenza was the first Notre Dame freshman (male or female) ever to win an NCAA sabre title and added a courageous performance at the `05 NCAAs, helping the Irish overcome a 24-point deficit that edged Ohio State for the team title.
Sophomore Mariel Zagunis – the 2004 Olympic gold medalist – combines with Providenza for a potent 1-2 punch that produced the top round-robin records in the 2005 NCAA women’s sabre bouts (Zagunis went on to lose in the title bout).
The Irish men’s sabre team does not include two heavyweights on the level of Providenza and Zagunis, but the men’s squad does feature three fencers who can battle at the top level in college fencing.
Junior All-Americans Patrick Ghattas and Matt Stearns return with two years of NCAA Tournament experience under their belts, and Ghattas will be a favorite to win the 2006 NCAA title after reaching the final in his sophomore season. Newcomer Bill Thanhouser – who tains at the Oregon Fencing Alliance sabre academy that also has produced Ghattas, Providenza and Zagunis – is listed third in the national under-20 men’s sabre rankings and could help make the Irish a tough trio in 2006.
Fourth-year head coach Janusz Bednarski and his trusty assistant coach Zoltan Dudas face the challenge of guiding a program that must reload at women’s foil and on both epee teams, after bidding farewell to three four-year All-Americans – foilists Alicja Kryczalo and Andrea Ament and men’s epeeist Michal Sobieraj – and three-time All-America women’s epeeist Kerry Walton. Kryczalo was a three-time NCAA champion (also `05 runner-up) while Sobieraj won the NCAA title in `05 (`03 runner-up), Walton was the 2002 NCAA champ (`04 runner-up) and Ament twice finished second to Kryczalo.
Juniors Patrick Ghattas (left) and Matt Stearns give Notre Dame two experienced veterans at men’s sabre (photo by Pete LaFleur).
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Junior two-time All-American Amy Orlando leads the women’s epee squad, after reaching the 2005 NCAA title bout. Fifth-year senior Becca Chimahusky will combine with freshmen Kim Montoya and Madeleine Stephan in rounding out a women’s epee unit that will look to build consistency as the season progresses.
Two sophomores – Melanie Bautista (a 2005 NCAA alternate) and Rachel Cota – combine with freshmen Adrienne Nott (listed 4th in the USFA under-20 rankings) and Emilie Prot to form the core of the women’s foil squad for the 2005-06 season.
Sophomore Jakub Jedrkowiak returns as one of the men’s foil leaders, after earning All-America honors with his seventh-place finish at the `05 NCAAs. Junior Frank Bontempo (a 2004 NCAA participant and `05 alternate) and nationally-ranked freshman Mark Kubik will look to combine with Jedrkowiak as the foilists look to get back on track with a strong season.
Junior epeeist Aaron Adjemian is coming off a strong 2005 season that saw him compete with the NCAA championship team while sophomore Greg Howard will captain the epee team in `05-’06, after narrowly missing a spot in the `05 NCAAs. Freshman Karol Kostka – who trains at the same club in Poland that produced Sobieraj – could provide a huge boost to Notre Dame’s 2006 title hopes, with an impressive No. 20 ranking among the world’s under-20 men’s foilists.
Junior epeeist Amy Orlando joins three sabre fencers – Valerie Providenza, Mariel Zagunis and Patrick Ghattas – as Notre Dame returners who previously have competed in an NCAA final for their respective weapons (photo by Pete LaFleur).
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2005-06 Notre Dame Women’s Fencing Capsule
Returning All-Americans (2005 record)
Epee: Amy Orlando, Jr. (36-10) ** (c)
Sabre: Valerie Providenza, Jr. (47-9) ** (c); Mariel Zagunis, So. (29-1) * (c)
Other Top Returners (2005 record)
Foil: Melanie Bautista, So. (47-7)
Epee: Becca Chimahusky, Sr. (36-18)
Sabre: Angela Vincent, Jr. (51-12) #
Top Letterwinners Lost (2005 record)
Foil: Alicja Kryczalo, Sr. (33-2) ****; Andrea Ament, Jr. (53-3) ****
Epee: Kerry Walton, Sr. (43-7) ***
Sabre: Danielle Davis, Sr. (43-8)
Top Newcomers
Foil: Adrienne Nott (Pittsford, NY); Emilie Prot (Limoges, France)
Epee: Kim Montoya (Las Vegas, NV); Madeleine Stephan (Germany)
* – All-America honors
# – NCAA participant (non-All-American)
c – indicates team captains
Sophomore Jakub Jedrkowiak could emerge as a top contender for the 2006 NCAA men’s foil title (photo by Pete LaFleur).
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2005-06 Notre Dame Men’s Fencing Capsule
Returning All-Americans (2005 record)
Foil: Jakub Jedrkowiak, So. (47-7) *
Sabre: Patrick Ghattas, Jr. (44-7) ** (c); Matt Stearns, Jr. (41-9) # *
Other Top Returners (2005 record)
Foil: Frank Bontempo, Jr. (41-17) # (c)
Epee:Aaron Adjemian, Jr. (32-6) #; Greg Howard, So. (36-8) (c)
Top Letterwinners Lost (2005 record)
Epee: Michal Sobieraj (65-4) ****
Sabre: John Espinosa (21-4)
Top Newcomers
Foil: Mark Kubik (San Antonio, TX)
Epee: Karol Kostka (Krakow, Poland)
Sabre: Bill Thanhouser (Portland, OR)
* – All-America honors # – NCAA participant (non-All-American) c – indicates team captains
Here’s a look at the Irish, by weapon:
WOMEN’S SABRE
Providenza (Beaverton, Ore.) was the inspirational leader behind Notre Dame’s rally to win the 2005 NCAA title, rising above an untimely illness to turn in a gutsy effort that produced the second-most wins (19-4) in the women’s sabre round-robin (behind only Zagunis). The two-time Junior Olympics champion and 2004 NCAA champ rolled to an 86-15 regular-season record (47-9 in `05) during her first two years with the Irish and embarks on her junior season with a USFA No. 10 ranking among women’s sabre fencers (also 70th in the world rankings).
“Valerie is maturing into a great leader and captain for the Irish fencing program and we all saw how valiantly she battled last year at the NCAAs,” says Bednarski of Providenza, whose key wins at the `05 NCAAs included a victory over eventual champion Emily Jacobson of Columbia (a U.S. national teammate of Zagunis).
“During the past year, Val became more consistent as she gained experience and was able to develop strategy versus the top opponents. She already has achieved so much in college fencing, but we expect more great things because of her great dedication and drive to be the best – with such a wonderful modern style to go along with her excellent decision making, physical presence, speed and range on the strip.”
Sophomore Mariel Zagunis – the 2004 Olympic gold medalist in sabre – lost just one regular-season bout in ’04-’05 before reaching the NCAA title bout (photo by Pete LaFleur).
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Zagunis fittingly will share the women’s sabre team captain duties with fellow Beaverton native and club teammate Providenza, as they look to build their legacy as the most accomplished pair of women’s sabre teammates in the history of collegiate fencing.
Most observers expected Zagunis to dominate in her first season of collegiate fencing and the Olympic gold medalist did not disappoint, compiling a 29-1 record in the regular season, going 21-2 in the NCAA round-robin and then losing in the title bout to her Olympic teammate Jacobson of Columbia (who also had handed Zagunis her lone regular-season loss and one of her two defeats in the round-robin).
With a No. 4 world ranking (2nd among U.S. fencers), Zagunis also has kept pace in the international fencing circles. Just days after helping the Irish win the NCAA title, she returned to the top of the podium as the World Junior champion for both the individual and team competition. The former high school soccer player then capped her 2005 summer by playing a lead role for the U.S. women’s sabre team that knocked off rival Russia to win the World Championship.
“One thing that has impressed me greatly about Mariel is how professional she is in her preparation and in all of her bouting. Even if she is fencing versus a walk-on, she treats every opponent equally and provides a great example for the rest of the team,” says Bednarski, in reference to the fencer who signed with Notre Dame in the fall of 2002 but delayed her admission one year in order to chase her Olympic dream.
“Mariel is such a goal-driven person in everything she does and has a workout regimen that is on another level. She is very clever in anticipating her opponent’s moves and can move quickly around the strip with so many dangerous actions. Mariel truly is a special talent, and she has become another fencer who represents this program is such a great way.”
Junior Angela Vincent (Lake Oswego, Ore.) also is set to return, providing more veteran experience as a former NCAA participant (in 2004) who compiled a 92-22 record in her first two seasons with the Irish.
“Angela has shown that she can compete at the top level in college fencing and we certainly hope to see her at that level again this season,” said Bednarski, in reference to the lefthanded Vincent who was runner-up at the 2004 Midwest Regional.
“One of her best abilities always has been to read the bouts and make proper use of distance. She also could produce even more consistent results as she becomes more athletic in her bouting during the upcoming season.”
Junior Patrick Ghattas again should be in the mix for the NCAA men’s sabre title after reaching the championship bout in 2005 (photo by Pete LaFleur).
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Freshman Ashley Serette (Orange, N.J.) rounds out the sabre squad, after honing her skills as an all-state performer at the Oak Knoll School in her home state of New Jersey.
“Ashley has limited fencing experience but she has made huge strides in just a short time here at Notre Dame,” says Bednarski. “She is a talented fighter who is starting to become a sophisticated fencer, particularly as she learns from such great mentors as Providenza and Zagunis.”
MEN’S SABRE
Ghattas (Beaverton, Ore.) will be among the favorites to win the 2006 NCAA men’s sabre title, after reaching the final at the `05 NCAAs and competing in the World Junior Championships as one of four members of the U.S. sabre team. The two-time All-American (he also was 10th at the `04 NCAAs) and 2004 Junior Olympics champion has moved up to a status among the nation’s top overall sabre fencers, entering his junior season listed 8th in the USFA men’s sabre rankings.
“Patrick is a joy to coach and to watch fence, with his beautiful technique and a perfect sabre style that is both aggressive and smooth. He can maximize his compact frame when fencing bigger opponents and that’s because he is so quick to judge the distance, with a great combination of decision-making and agility,” says Bednarski of the 5-foot-9 Ghattas, whose .879 career win percentage in regular-season bouts includes a 44-7 mark in 2005.
“In addition to his great talent and technique, Ghattas also has plenty of international experience and is such an ambitious worker in his training. He is an explosive fighter and is so serious in his preparation – a tough opponent for anyone to face.”
Junior Matt Stearns combines with classmate Patrick Ghattas and newcomer Bill Thanhouser to give the Irish three NCAA-caliber men’s sabre fencers (photo by Pete LaFleur).
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Stearns (Minnetrista, Minn.) is coming off his own 2005 All-America season – after placing 10th at the NCAAs to help win the national title – and entered his junior season listed 38th in the USFA men’s sabre rankings. One of the nation’s taller fencers, the 6-foot-4, 215-pound Stearns brings a fiery presence to the strip. The two-time NCAA participant compiled a 76-18 regular-season record with the Irish in his first two seasons (41-9 in `05) and showed his ability to beat the best in a stunning 5-0 win over Ohio State’s Jason Rogers (a member of the U.S. Olympic team) in the `05 NCAAs.
“Matt is a very spirited sabre fencer who has improved on channeling his emotions and maintaining bout focus,” says Bednarski.
“He has worked hard to expand his number of actions and technique and is very quick for his size, with the agility and quick change of direction that you need in sabre.”
Senior Nicholas Diacou (New York, N.Y.) enters his final season already having logged nearly 100 bouts with the Irish (55-41, after not fencing in `03), adding even more veteran experience to the strong men’s sabre squad.
“Nico still has some potential strides he can make as a collegiate fencer and we are looking for him to close with a strong season,” says Bednarski. “He always has used a good modern style and has shown the ability to fence with the top opponents, because of his quickness and reaction skills.”
Bill Thanhouser currently ranks No. 1 in the nation among under-20 men’s sabre fencers (photo by Matt Cashore).
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Thanhouser (Portland, Ore.) has followed his Oregon Fencing Alliance club teammates to Notre Dame and rates as one of the top young sabre fencers in the nation, recently placing sixth at a Junior World Cup in Poland while starting his college career ranked No. 3 by the USFA for under-20 men’s sabreists (he also ranked 39th in the world). With a bouting style that is similar to Ghattas (his club teammate and fellow Oregon Episcopal School alum), Thanhouser is expected to make a major impact on the college fencing scene during his first season.
“Bill still is growing as a fencer and needs more training but he is a fighter and exciting competitor,” says Bednarski. “He has great footwork and fights during every step. Adding Thanhouser certainly makes us that much stronger in sabre for the next two years.”
Junior Aaron Adjemian qualified for the 2005 NCAA epee competition, after nearly making the NCAAs as a freshman in ’04 (photo by Matt Cashore).
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MEN’S EPEE
Adjemian (El Paso, Texas) rebounded from his near-miss in the 2004 NCAA selections by qualifying for the event in 2005 and helping the Irish win the national title. The Northwest (Ore.) Fencing Center product saw a huge jump in his won-loss record from his freshman (28-16) to sophomore (32-6) seasons and now will look to raise his production once again in 2006.
“Aaron has the talent within him to be an All-America caliber of fencer so this will be a big year for him,” says Bednarski.
“I always enjoy watching Aaron fence because he has a very elegant, modern style that he uses with a high level of technical ability. The challenge for him continues to be focus and more consistent training – but anyone who has seen Aaron fence knows that he is capable of beating any other epeeist in college fencing.”
South Bend-area product Greg Howard will serve as the Irish epee team captain during his sophomore season in ’05-’06 (photo by Pete LaFleur).
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Local product Howard (Granger, Ind.) is an emerging leader who will serve as captain of the men’s epee squad. The six-foot lefthander – who was one of the nation’s top-ranked youth fencers and placed second at the USFA 2004 Summer Nationals – went 36-8 as a key part of Notre Dame’s strong epee showing in 2005
“Greg is a fighter, a serious worker and a smart kid who makes great use of a very modern style,” says Bednarski of Howard, an Academic All-America candidate (3.57 cumulative GPA, as economics major) whose father George is a longtime psychology professor at Notre Dame.
“He is very calm off the strip but a battler in his bouting. Greg also is very good tactically, has strong reaction time and is focused until the last touch. And he has followed the Notre Dame fencing program all his life, so he has a good appreciation for the spirit and tradition.”
Junior Patrick Gettings (Lake Forest, Ill.) enters his third year on the epee squad with a 26-13 career record in addition to gaining quality experience at various USFA events. The 6-foot-1 lefthander combines with Adjemian and Howard to make the men’s epee team one of the more experienced on the 2006 Irish roster.
“Patrick continues to improve through his training and has shown the ability to get the big wins,” says Bednarski. “He is a very quick decision maker, has some great technical tricks and hits very strongly in his bouting. When you add that to his lefthanded style, he can be a handful for even the top fencers.”
Freshman Karol Kostka – ranked as high as 20th among the world’s under-20 men’s epeeists – will be looking to make a quick impact on the college fencing scene (photo by Matt Cashore).
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Kostka (Krakow, Poland) hails from the same hometown and club (AZS-AWF) that produced Sobieraj, Notre Dame’s all-time leader for career epee win percentage and a rare four-time All-American. The newcomer now looks to fill the void left by Sobieraj’s departure and he appears equipped for the challenge, with a No. 20 world ranking (for under-20 men’s epeeists) and a style that could produce great success on the college fencing level.
“Karol obviously is one of the best juniors in Poland and recently was a finalist in a World Cup competition, so his talent and experience already are in place,” says Bednarski, who now has seen four fellow Poland natives fence for him during his four-year tenure as the program’s head coach.
“He is a very technical fencer with a business -like approach. He is responsible, attentive and appears to be adjusting well to life at a U.S. college. So it all adds up to another exciting addition for us in the epee ranks.”
Fifth-year senior Becca Chimahusky lends quality depth and experience to the women’s epee squad (photo by Matt Cashore).
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WOMEN’S EPEE
Orlando (Brookline, Mass.) returns for her third season as captain of the women’s epee squad. The two-time All-American and three-year member of the U.S. Junior National Team has surged to a No. 5 USFA ranking among the nation’s women’s epeeists and should be on the short list of contenders for the 2006 NCAA title, after reaching the 2005 final bout.
A tireless workhorse in her training, Orlando’s value extends beyond her bouting to the areas of team leadership and quality academics – as an Academic All-America candidate who carries a 3.39 cumulative GPA as a psychology major.
“Amy is such a wonderful person, very helpful and intelligent when dealing with her teammates,” says Bednarski, who watched Orlando overcome slow starts in her first two seasons en route to an 85-23 career record in regular-season bouts (36-10 in `05).
“She was a very experienced fencer when she came here and has made great progress, with smarter bouts, more consistency and greater athleticism in her actions. Amy often is smaller than her opponent but she wins at such a great rate because of her tactical sense, timing and that fighting spirit.”
Orlando – who displayed her competitiveness by closing with an 8-1 record to help complete Notre Dame’s historic rally that won the 2005 NCAA title – lost the ’05 NCAA epee final to Wayne State’s Anna Garina, but the current Notre Dame captain has defeated the 6-foot-1 Ukranian in NCAA round-robin bouts during each of the past two seasons.
The 5-foot-11 Chimahusky (Bartlesville, Okla.) easily ranks as one of the most improved talents in all of college fencing, first joining the program as a walk-on in 2003 and going on to be a key contributor during the 2005 national championship season (when she delivered several key wins over top opponents and had an impressive fifth-place finish at the Regional).
Freshman epeeist Kim Montoya – a product of the Las Vegas Fencing Club (where she trains under former ND coach Yves Auriol) – is one of several promising newcomers on the Irish women’s fencing team (photo by Pete LaFleur).
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“Becca has such great personality and she is very focused on studying to become a better fencer,” says Bednarski of the 2004 team’s “most improved fencer” honoree, whose 95-43 career record includes a 36-18 mark while taking on top opponents throughout the `05 season.
“She always has been a quality sparring partner for our other epeeists – because of her great reach, strength and variety of actions – but she also is a very hard worker who has become a force to reckon with in her own right. We are very pleased to have Becca back for one more year and it will be exciting to see her make even more great improvements this season.”
Montoya made a splash at her first collegiate fencing event by placing second at the Penn State Open in the fall of `05. The Las Vegas native has trained under former Notre Dame head coach Yves Auriol (at the Las Vegas Fencing Club), providing a unique and initial link to the Irish fencing tradition.
“Kim is an excellent fencer with some classy and very technical moves. She uses her technique very well and has a style that is a blend of epee and foil,” says Bednarski, who coached alongside Auriol for eight seasons.
“We are looking to help finetune her technique for college fencing but overall she is a very effective and deceptive fencer, with a quiet and defensive approach that leads to a lot of victories.”
Newcomer Madeleine Stephan brings plenty of internatonal experience to the epee squad, as a product of the prestigious T.B.B. Olympic Center in Germany (photo by Pete LaFleur).
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Stephan (Tauberbischofsheim, Germany) also should make an impact in her freshman season, as evidence by her 10th-place finish among the tough field at the Penn State Open. The third fencer from Germany ever to join the Notre Dame program, Stephan has trained at the T.B.B. Olympic Center (located near Frankfurt) that is considered the world’s premier fencing center.
“Madeleine is a very organized and athletic fencer who is a fighter on the strip. It always is a challenge for the foreign fencers as they adjust to school in the U.S. but we are very encouraged by adding her to an already strong women’s epee team,” says Bednarski.
WOMEN’S FOIL
Any team from any era would be hard-pressed to replace the dynamic duo of Kryczalo and Ament but the 2006 Irish will look to a group of youngsters to fill that sizeable void. Sophomores Bautista and Cota combine with senior Colleen Walsh – who studied overseas at Oxford during the 2004-05 academic year – to form the most experienced members of the women’s foil squad while freshmen Nott and Prot appear up to the task of making key contributions in their first season with the Irish.
Spirited sophomore Melanie Bautista leads a young – but talented – women’s foil team (photo by Pete LaFleur).
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Bautista – originally from Dayton, Ohio, but now living on the west coast after her family’s recent move to Sacramento, Calif. – is a tremendous athlete who is fairly new to fencing, after excelling as an All-America karate performer in various international events. Noted for her quick reactions, competitive spirit, improved technique and a style that includes elements of sabre fencing (her weapon as a prep), Bautista was a pleasant surprise during her rookie season and also adds a significant “personality factor” to the team chemistry.
“Melanie has made some great improvements in her fencing and proved to be a tremendous fighter during her freshman year,” says Bednarski of Bautista, who compiled a 47-7 record during the regular season and then placed seventh at the Midwest Regional to earn an alternate spot for the NCAAs.
“She has a personality that is very infectious – like a fire – and it helps her teammates handle the stress of fencing. She has such wonderful energy and the mood of the team is completely different when she is there. She will be a very important member of the team this season in so many ways.”
The 5-foot-10 Cota (Altadena, Calif.) also had a solid rookie season (37-15 regular-season record) but was slowed in the 2005 fall season by a lingering foot injury.
“Rachel had been making good progress and now we just hope she can get back to her form and have a strong 2006 season,” says Bednarski.
“She employs a classical style with good technical skill and she is able to use her big frame to her advantage. We are looking for her to get even more experience with college fencing this season but Cota has great leadership potential and could be a captain for us in the future.”
Bautista and Cota were huge fans of their mentors Ament and Kryczalo throughout the 2005 season but the youngsters now must serve as two of the leaders for the 2006 Notre Dame women’s foil squad.
Bautista is not the only member of the current foil team who has been an NCAA alternate, as Walsh earned that distinction in 2004 after an impressive sixth-place Regional finish.
Walsh (Monticello, Ill.) – who also could fence some sabre bouts in 2006 – is getting back in the swing of collegiate fencing after studying overseas at Oxford in 2004-05. The senior compiled a 51-24 record in her first two seasons with the Irish and is a standout in the classroom, carrying a 3.89 cumulative GPA as a double major in biology and anthropology.
“Colleen has a very good hand technique and has the skills to help us this year at foil or sabre. She is working her way back into the team and realizes she has a big challenge – but she is a great kid who again will be an important member of this program.”
Adrienne Nott joins the Irish as one of the nation’s top-ranked young foilists (photo by Pete LaFleur).
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Nott (Pittsford, N.Y.) entered her freshman year listed fourth in the USFA junior-level rankings and the Rochester Fencing Club product then had a solid 12th-place finish at the Penn State Open.
“Adi is a fighter, a good worker and extremely quick – sometimes she’s too fast for her own good,” says Bednarski of Nott, who makes good use of her compact, five-foot frame.
“She needs some technical training but already has plenty of bouting experience, which will help her in making a quicker transition to college fencing.”
Foilist Emilie Prot is yet another highly-regarded newcomer for the Irish women’s team (photo by Pete LaFleur).
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Prot (Limoges, France) – who has ranked among the top-10 juniors in her native country – brings a taller frame (5-6) to the strip, to go along with plenty of international experience.
“Emilie has pretty good technique, is a very intellectual fencer and has made very good progress – with a great spirit on the strip,” says Bednarski of Prot, who added her own impressive showing at the Penn State Open by placing ninth.
MEN’S FOIL
The 6-foot-1 Jedrkowiak (Leszno, Poland) – who has been among his nation’s top-rated junior-level fencers – could emerge as one of the favorites for the 2006 NCAA foil title, after placing seventh at the NCAAs during his rookie season. His most impressive performances versus college competition have come at the past two Penn State Opens (fall of `04 and `05), finishing second as a freshman before winning the 2005 event. In both instances, he defeated Ohio State’s Boaz Ellis (the `04 and `05 NCAA champion) in the semifinal round.
“Jakub is prepared to make that next step as a leader of this program and a contender for the NCAA title,” says Bednarski of fellow Poland native Jedrkowiak, whose rookie season included a 47-7 regular-season record and a share of first at the Midwest Regional.
“He is a very tactical fighter with a wide range of actions and workmanlike demeanor. Jakub is a proven winner with a great combination of athletic ability and intellect. He has a very ordered approach to his bouting and is a very clever fencer. We expect big things from Jakub this season and throughout his career.”
Junior Frank Bontempo fenced in the 2004 NCAA foil bouts before narrowly missing a spot in the ’05 NCAAs (photo by Pete LaFleur).
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Bontempo – who has assumed the team captain role for the 2006 men’s foil squad – nearly joined Jedrkowiak in the 2005 NCAA field, narrowly missing the region’s final spot after some unusual upsets pushed another fencer ahead of him in the standings. The wiry lefthander and Pittsburgh native has proven up to the task during his career, placing third at the 2004 regional to ultimately earn a spot in the NCAAs as a freshman.
“Frank has an effective modern style and is probably our most athletic and aggressive foilist – all of which combines to make him a very dangerous opponent,” says Bednarski of Bontempo, whose 85-33 career record includes a 41-17 mark during the 2005 regular season.
“There still is great potential in Frank and this could be a big year for him. He is an important leader for us and could play a big role as he works to improve his mental toughness and consistency in his bouting.”
Sophomore Diego Quinonez (San Salvador, El Salvador) also returns to the foil squad after compiling a 30-7 record during his first season with the Irish. A rare product from the Latin American fencing community -and Notre Dame’s first-ever fencer from El Salvador – Quinonez could show a big jump in his production during the 2006 season.
“Diego is coming around to the point where he can assimilate his tactical training into his bouting performance,” says Bednarski. “He always has shown great technical ability, speed and reactions, but I believe we will begin to see even better bouting results from him in the near future.”
Freshman Mark Kubik provides great depth and plenty of international experience for the Irish men’s foil squad (photo by Matt Cashore).
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The 6-foot-2 Kubik (San Antonio, Texas) adds tremendous depth to the foil squad, as a former U.S. youth national champion who currently is listed 18th in the USFA men’s foil rankings (also 11th on the u-20 list). Like several of his Notre Dame teammates, Kubik comes from a fencing family – as his father Wendell was a top fencer and coach at Air Force while his younger brothers Steve and Nick also are top foilists.
“Mark has good height and footwork but he is going through an adjustment to college fencing and the new foil timing standards, whereby he needs to be using less of his hands and more of his footwork,” says Bednarski.
“This is another quality fencer we have added to the program, a young man who lived in Germany for several years and has competed all over the world. He is a good tactician with strong ability both offensively and defensively. We are very excited to see the impact he will make for our foil team this year.”