Dallas Cowboys' Coach Barry Switzer was not the only person to leave San Francisco disappointed. Also in the Bay area last weekend were four of Penn State's men's fencers -- senior Andy Gearhart and sophomores Jeff Feinblatt, Wes Waldron and Dean Jacobberger.

They were fencing in the second of four North American Cup competitions for junior and senior level competitors. And, like Switzer, none of them left feeling happy about the results.

Gearhart was the highest finisher of the four, finishing 10th. Although it was his best finish in his last three tournaments, Gearhart was still less than pleased with his placement.

"Going into the tournament, I was hoping for a top-eight finish," he said, "but the way I've been fencing lately, a top-10 finish probably would've been more realistic."

The senior from Brockport, N.Y., was -- and still is -- hoping to make the U.S. team for the World University Games beginning on Aug. 26, but his finish last weekend left him unsure of his current standing.

This is partially because several other tournaments were also going on last weekend, and other contenders may have lost and dropped in the rankings.

"I'm not really sure where I stand, but my performance three weeks ago in Ft. Lauderdale wasn't very good," Gearhart said. "This weekend didn't help."

Feinblatt was also unhappy with his finish as well. He went 4-3 in the tournament and said the long holiday break contributed to his less-than-stellar performance. During the break he did little practicing, and it affected him mentally in San Francisco, he added.

"I definitely was not 100 percent because I had too much time off, and I didn't practice and I couldn't mentally get into the match," Feinblatt said.

The time off without practice helped contribute to the low finishes of the three sophomores. But for Gearhart, the lone senior on the men's team, experience paid off. While at home, he used his free time to practice at a local club.

For Jacobberger, bad luck played just as a big a part in his low finish as rustiness did. He had to fence against Gearhart in the first direct-elimination round, and lost.

Waldron, who finished at 3-3, summed up the performance of the three sophomores in the junior-senior level tournament in blunt fashion.

"As for the senior circuit," he said, "we blew it."