A little more than a year ago, Doris Willette helped Penn State win the NCAA women's fencing title. Now, she is hoping to help another team bring home a championship -- the U.S. Olympic team.

Willette will compete in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing as an alternate with the United States fencing team after finishing sixth in the 2008 World Championships.

"I'm more excited than nervous for the Olympics," said Willette. "I'm an alternate, so I'm really excited for my teammates."

Willette got into fencing when she was 9 years old by the encouragement of her dad.

"My dad fenced in college and he wanted me and my brother to be involved in something that was both mentally and physically challenging," Willette said.

Even before she started her college career, Willette was a decorated fencer. She competed on the U.S. Junior World Team in 2005 and 2006 and was a finalist both times. She also competed as a member of the senior U.S. team in the 2006 World Championships.

Like her father, Willette became a college fencer. During her freshman year at Penn State, Willette went 33-0, winning the women's foil crown in the NCAA championships, as well as helping her squad win the team title.

After a successful first season as a collegiate fencer, Willette decided to redshirt her sophomore season to take a year off school and train for the Olympics. The choice was not easy.

"When you go to college, you go in expecting to graduate a certain year and a certain group of people, but when you take a year off, it changes all of that," she said.

While her friends spent the year studying at school, Willette spent the year training and competing.

"I had to do a lot of yoga and stretches to make sure my body was strong. I had to run and use rowing machines and had competitions," Willette said.

The international competitions were an adjustment for her.

"Fencing is team-oriented in college. You're always competing for someone else," Willette said. "This is the first time I've ever competed for myself."

Willette faced much tougher competition on the international level.

"It's a completely different ball game," said Willette's college coach, Emmanuil Kaidanov. "The field is much more professional. There is a lot of aggressiveness and high intensity."

Kaidanov knows the international competition well. Penn State's fencing coach was a world-class fencer and a candidate for the U.S.S.R.'s national team from 1958 to 1964. He also has coached five Olympians in addition to Willette.

Despite the increased level of competition, Willette still had success, finishing sixth in the 2008 World

Championships and earning the alternate spot on the U.S. women's foil team.

Although Willette does not have much experience in international competitions, Kaidanov is not surprised she made the team.

"I thought she was able [to make the team]. It was not easy, but knowing her, she was determined. I had confidence that she would make it," Kaidanov said.

Kaidanov is predicting that in a tough field, Willette and her teammates will finish in the top six.

"The field is strong, but if they make the top six, which I think they will, they will have done well," he said.

Willette will not be the only fencer with Penn State connections fencing in the Olympics.

Nonpatat Panchan, a four-time All-American and two-time NCAA champion at Penn State, will represent Thailand in the foil.

Adam Wiercoich, who will represent Poland in the men's epee event, was also a four-time All-American at Penn State.