Freshmen get the chance to strut their stuff for the Penn State fencing team this weekend in the Temple and Denver Opens.

National champions Jessie Burke and Charlotte Walker will have to wait another week before their season officially opens. Burke and Walker are suffering from the lingering effects of colds. However, they are expected to be ready for the Garret Open Nov. 11-12 in the White Building.

Coach Emmanuil Kaidanov deems this opener as a warm-up.

"We consider November and December our preparatory period," he said.

It's a chance just to see where people settle on that important depth chart. Kaidanov needs to find out who will contribute to the grand scheme — a possible seventh consecutive national championship.

"These tournaments are good for people with little experience. It's practice for a much stronger tournament. It makes a lot of sense for us," Kaidanov said.

Practice for freshmen? Both Walker and Burke won individual national championships as freshmen -- Walker in 1998 and Burke last year. With 14 freshmen on the team, someone could cross that elusive barrier again this March in Wisconsin.

At women's saber, Heather Brosnan brings past experience to the weapon. Brosnan spent seven years in the Oregon Fencing Alliance. Meredith Steyer and Lindsey Clark also will be counted on.

Like Brosnan, Adam Wiercioch of Poland arrives with a reputation all his own. Wiercioch won gold at the 1998 European Junior Championships. He will forgo competition this weekend due to a back injury.

"Adam will be ready next week. He won't be 100 percent, but he'll be able to compete," Kaidanov said.

Lavinia Mytas-Lindsay, a freshman from Philadelphia, will get her first competitive opportunity at the collegiate level this weekend. Lavinia is listed fourth right now, but with successful early bouts, she'll push an experienced crew at women's foil.

However, Kaidanov should be keeping his eye on areas such as women's epee as well as men's foil. Those groups will be expected for significant contributions from the underclassmen.

Kristina Viviani is a unique case at epee. National champion Jessie Burke is first, but the epee weapon is quite thin. Only six competitors line up at the weapon. It creates depth problems if anyone were to go down due to injury. Viviani is currently listed fourth.

Precisely, confidence is a fierce weapon.

"Our main emphasis is to give our young fencers some wins to boost their confidence," Kaidanov said.

Of all weapons, men's foil by far has the least experience. Obviously, it would help to get off on a good note. After two seniors in the first two spots, five freshmen fill out the depth chart. Leading the way is Nonpatat Panchan at three. Freshmen Christopher Dickson, Joseph Brown and Daniel Bhutta round out the top six.

Panchan had trouble at times last Saturday at the alumni meet. However, Kaidanov added in that particular atmosphere "they (alumni) always point out strengths and weaknesses to each other." Apparently, it helped. By the end of the meet, those same nervous young men and women, warmed up, and had those old guys back pedaling off the mat.

After two days of fencing beginning at 8 a.m. at Temple and four days of fencing action in Denver, Colo., these freshmen will be ready to face the remainder of the season head-on.

"As far as size, they are good tournaments," Kaidanov said. "We'll see what they're capable of."