The new members of the Penn State University fencing team have left a good impression on head coach Wes Glon.
Glon, who assumed his post this year, has been keeping an eye on the newcomers of the team, singling out the leadership provided by Southeast Asian Games medallist Samantha Catantan of the Philippines and her Ukrainian teammate Kateryna Chorniy.
The performance of the two freshmen gave Glon a glimpse of their skills and how they may be able to hold out during the coming first division matches of the US NCAA season.
Glon, who has been with the team for 36 years, saw how the newcomers were during the recent Ohio State Invitational in the early days of February.
“Kateryna Chorniy and Samantha Catantan have adapted really well to our team and they were the stars of the meet,” said Glon in the team’s official website.
Catantan, who used to study at the University of the East, impressed Glon when she debuted with the Nittany Lions with a bang, going undefeated against her Duke and North Carolina opponents.
Chorniy, who brings in the experience she got after winning the epee gold during the 2018 Youth Olympic Games, also finished with the same record with Catantan.
These allowed the Nittany Lions to post a 7-2 record in their initial outings in the women’s foil.
“It’s very unusual that two freshmen are leading the pack, but they fenced very well and we are so happy for them,” Glon said.
In the second day of the meet, Catantan stayed undefeated with three more victories against rivals from Northwestern University.
The Nittany Lions have been taking part in numerous dual meets, in preparation for the coming US NCAA season.
Glon added that he and the rest of the men’s and women’s team are facing their biggest obstacle so far this season.
That’s because the coronavirus pandemic has been affecting their team practices.
“We had a lot of ups and downs individually this weekend. With more practice, we’ll see more consistency between matches from individual fencers,” added Glon.