Korfanty wins second epee championship

It took one tournament for Alexandra Korfanty to realize she could be a great epee fencer.

Since then, Penn State's Korfanty has been one of the top epee fencers in the country as a freshman. She lived up to her impressive billing by winning her second consecutive Junior Olympic epee championship during the four-day event that ended Monday in Marlboro, Mass. The Junior Olympics are for the best fencers under 20, and the 17-year-old Korfanty took home the trophy.

"It was great," Penn State coach Emmanuil Kaidanov said. "We were just thrilled with her result. This has been a difficult year for her. This weekend she came in the best shape and did a superb job."

Some weekends she has annihilated the competition, like two weekends ago when she didn't lose a bout against 20 opponents. Other weekends, though, she has shown she is not invincible. Korfanty has amassed a 44-9 record in dual-meet competition for the Lady Lions.

After winning the Junior Olympic title last year, Korfanty felt the pressure to repeat as champion and expected to defend her title.

This year's championship also served as a present for her father, Edward. He turned 45 on Sunday, and his daughter brought home another title for the man who taught her to fence. Edward Korfanty, formerly Notre Dame's fencing coach and current coach of a club team in Portland, Ore., introduced his daughter to the sport and helped her become the best under-20 epee fencer in the country.

"It was his birthday present," Alexandra said.

There were two Nittany Lions who also finished high in the competition. Sophomore David Lidow took third in men's foil but failed to improve his North American Circuit ranking. Lidow, ranked No. 4, needed to move up to No. 3 to earn a spot on the U.S. Junior National team.

"I think I fenced well until the final four," Lidow said. "I sort of ran out of gas during the last bout."

During that last bout with Jedediah Dupree, the score was tied at 13 and then Dupree scored the last two touches. Lidow was hoping to still move up to No. 3 since he beat Peter Rosen, then the No. 3 junior foilsman. But since Rosen had won a World Cup event earlier this month, he still had more points than Lidow in the standings.

"I'm really disappointed," Lidow said. "I really thought if I beat out Peter I'd make the team."

All hope is not lost for Lidow, though, as he plans to compete in March in a World Cup in Giengen, Germany. If he places in the top 32 and Rosen doesn't win the event, he will likely make the Junior National team.

In sabre Brian Walther, the 1995 Junior Olympic champion, finished in eighth place. He was hoping to reclaim his title this year.