Penn State fencing captain Marten Zagunis was the last one in the team locker room showering and packing for this year's NCAA Championships in Houston.

For the last two years, Zagunis has represented his team in the NCAA Championships and he was a key component in the Nittany Lions' second-place finish last year.

This year, though, he's packing not to compete but to serve as an alternate for the men's saber squad.

Each team can qualify two fencers from each weapon to compete at the championships, while the rest have to qualify to act as alternates.

Freshman Franz Boghicev and sophomore Ian Farr both placed ahead of Zagunis at this year's Mid-Atlantic/South Regionals and qualified to compete.

Zagunis, though, is more than positive of his team's chances to finish first even though he's on the sidelines.

"At the beginning of the year I think people felt that Franz and I would be the ones who eventually would compete at NCAAs," Zagunis said. "But Ian really worked his butt off all year and he deserves to go because he's been amazing."

Zagunis and Farr both grew up in Oregon and have been competing with, and against, each other for years.

This year not only were they competing for the same team but also against each other for a spot to play for the team in the championships.

"He's always been a great fencer," Zagunis said. "At Regionals when it came down to it, and all the money was on the table he stepped up and did his job and that's why he got the spot."

As a freshman last year, Farr finished fifth while Zagunis finished fourth.

Boghicev is a freshman entering his first NCAA Championships.

"Franz's only question to me was if he should wash his uniform because it was starting to smell," Zagunis said. "But in practice all week we've been going after each other hard to prepare."

The men's team will also be sending senior Nonpatat Panchan and freshman Jeffrey Chang.

In the foil, only freshman Arthur Urman qualified.

The women's squad, which enters the championships as the third-ranked team in the country, suffered a setback before Regionals two weeks ago.

Its top epee fencer, junior Katarzyna Trzopek, suffered an injury and was unable to compete and therefore could not qualify for this week's competition.

Stepping in her place are junior Andrea Wine and sophomore Case Szarwark.

Both had strong seasons and are more than able to step up in Trzopek place.

"Fencing overall is a team sport," Zagunis said. "If Katarzyna is injured or not, we still have six other girls who still need to do their jobs to help the team win."

The rest of the women competing are sophomores Sophia Hiss and Laura Hillstrom in the saber, and senior Meredith Chin and junior Annekathrin Donath in the foil.

The Lions are going into Rice University from tomorrow to Sunday to regain the title that they have held many times over the last decade.

"I'm in a position that I've never had to be in but I have faith in this team," Zagunis said. "I just know that these guys are going to step up when it counts."