Individuals Look To Shine at Junior Olympics – Ohio State Buckeyes
2/10/1999 12:00:00 AM | Fencing
February 10, 1999
COLUMBUS – The Ohio State fencing team takes the week off from team play as the individuals get their opportunity to shine at the Junior Olympics in Chattanooga, Tenn. on Feb. 13-14.
TIDBITS ON THE JUNIOR OLYMPICS The age-based competition begins Friday in Chattanooga, Tenn., and runs through Monday. Ohio State’s individual competitors jump into action on Saturday and Sunday, with the possibility of some Monday competition as well. The meet will feature some of the best 20-and-under fencers in the nation. All fencers competing in the Junior Olympics had to get through an individual qualifier in order to participate in the meet. Ohio State will be represented on the mens side by Greg Bianca, Erik Bianca, Greg Carlino and Mike Dangler. Toya Holland, Jaime Rice and Leah Tracy will compete on the womens side for OSU.
BUCKEYE WOMEN SHINE AT DUKE The Ohio State women’s fencing team had a great day at the Duke Invitational last Saturday, winning all five of their matches, including a win over second-ranked Notre Dame. The Buckeyes also notched wins over Rutgers, Duke, Air Force and North Carolina. Yelena Kalkina (Jr., Almaty, Kazakhstan) led Ohio State with an unblemished record of 20-0 in the foil, while Fane Groes (So., Copenhagen, Denmark) went 19-1 in the foil. The men’s team struggled against tough competition at Duke. The Buckeyes went 1-4, posting a win over North Carolina, but falling to Duke, Rutgers, Air Force and Notre Dame.
BUCKS TOUGH TO BEAT AT NOTRE DAME The Buckeye fencing teams traveled to South Bend, Ind., Jan. 30-31 and competed very well at the Notre Dame Dual Meets. The men finished the two-day competition with a 9-2 record, while the women went 9-1. Both squads recorded wins over Lawrence, Case Western Reserve, Chicago and Cleveland State in the first day of competition, but both squads fell to ranked Notre Dame squads, while the men also fell to Northwestern. On Sunday, both squads went undefeated. They both defeated Michigan, Michigan State, Wayne State, Purdue and Detroit.
HEAD COACH CHARLOTTE REMENYIK Charlotte Remenyik came to Ohio State in 1978 to mentor the womens fencing squad with well over 20 years of fencing experience. It was evident from her inaugural season that she would become an integral part of the Buckeye fencing program. Remenyik produced back-to-back Big Ten runner-up seasons and a first-place regional finish her first two years at OSU. Immediately following that she was named head coach of the men’s and women’s teams, the first woman in the Midwest to coach both a sections of a varsity fencing team. Despite not having any scholarships for the mens teams, Remenyik has never had a losing season in her 20-year tenure at OSU. As the longest tenured coach, entering her 21st season at OSU, Remenyik brought to her coaching position a remarkable record of accomplishments as a competitor as well as a teacher. Born and raised in Hungary, she proved to be one of that country’s finest young duelists. Hungary, like other European countries, has maintained a strong fencing tradition, producing highly-motivated and technique-oriented competitors.
