Contact: Alan Ashby

March 4, 2006

CLEVELAND - Cleveland State freshman John Downey and sophomore Jeff Tormey both tentatively earned bids to the NCAA Fencing Championships as alternates. Downey finished 10th in sabre and Tormey was 11th in epee, as the Vikings hosted the NCAA Midwest Regionals for the first time in school history.

The alternate bids were based on a combination of regular season results and finish at the regional.

In all, seven CSU fencers competed on Saturday in Woodling Gymnasium. Both Ohio State and Wayne State claimed a pair of individual titles, with Notre Dame and Northwestern winning the other weapons.

"I couldn't be happier with how things went today," CSU head coach Jim Sager said. "Not only did all seven of our fencers represent Cleveland State very well, but it was great to have a pair of underclassmen earn NCAA bids as alternates."

The NCAA Championships will take place on March 16-19 in Houston, Texas.

A list of the regional placers and CSU's finishers follows.

Women's Sabre
1. Mariel Zagunis, Notre Dame
2. Siobhan Byrne, Ohio State
3. Valerie Providenza, Notre Dame

Women's Foil
1. Samantha Nemecek, Northwestern
2. Adrienne Nott, Notre Dame
3. Jessica Florendo, Northwestern

Women's Epee
1. Justyna Konczalska, Wayne State
2. Anna Garina, Wayne State
3. Madeleine Stephan, Notre Dame

Men's Sabre
1. Adam Crompton, Ohio State
2. Mike Momtselidze, Ohio State
3. Patrick Ghattas, Notre Dame

Men's Foil
1. Boaz Ellis, Ohio State
2. Andras Horanyi, Ohio State
3. Dimitri Kirk-Gordon, Ohio State

Men's Epee
1. Marek Petraszek, Wayne State
2. Aaron Adjemian, Notre Dame
3. Karol Kostka, Notre Dame

Cleveland State Competitors
Pam Marvinney - 11th, women's epee
Leigh Pendergrass - 10th, women's foil
Andy Snell - 10th, men's epee
Jeff Tormey - 11th, men's epee
Michael Banks - 13th, men's epee
Tom Kotula - 13th, men's foil
John Downey - 11th, men's sabre