Five members of the University of Pennsylvania men's and women's fencing teams have qualified for the 2003 NCAA Championships, to be held at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado from March 20-23. Senior Yale Cohen and junior Andrew Radu are the only two members of the Red and Blue who will be making a return trip to the NCAAs, while three Quakers will be making their championship debut.

Joining Cohen and Radu, who will compete in foil, will be freshmen Michael Sanders (epee) and Jean Goto (epee) along with sophomore Kate Zimmerly (sabre). Freshman Livia Rurarz-Huygens has been selected as an alternate and will compete only if one of the field of 24 cannot.

Cohen, a native of Houston, Texas, will make his third NCAA Championship appearance. He finished a career-best ninth at the 2000 Championships as a freshman and 10th in 2001 as a sophomore. This season, Cohen went 30-6, tying for third on the team in wins. He placed second overall at the Mid-Atlantic/South Regionals held on March 8 at Penn State. Cohen's four-year Penn record is 113-27 (.807).

Radu, a native of Great Neck, is the only member of the Red and Blue to be making its second-straight NCAA Championships appearance, as the third-year fencer finished 17th last year. Radu led the Quakers in victories in 2003, recording a 32-6 record while earning his second-straight first-team All-Ivy nod. He placed third last week at the Mid-Atlantic/South Regionals and helped lead the Penn foil team to a bronze-medal finish at the 2003 IFAs. In three seasons, Radu has posted a record of 108-21 (.837).

Rounding out the Red and Blue's men's team participants is Sanders, a native of San Antonio, Texas. Sanders posted a 31-13 mark as a rookie, earning a second-team All-Ivy nod in the process. He finished fourth overall at the Mid-Atlantic/South Regionals.

For the women, Zimmerly, a native of Hackettstown, NJ, is making her first NCAA appearance after recording a career-high 24 wins in 2003. She placed 10th at the Mid-Atlantic/South Regionals and helped the Penn sabre team to a bronze medal at the IFAs.

Goto, a native of the Bronx, went 35-14 in her rookie campaign with the Red and Blue. Her 35 victories led both the men and women and earned her a first-team All-Ivy berth. She finished fourth at the Mid-Atlantic/South Regionals and helped the Quakers' epee team to a bronze-medal finish at the IFAs.

Penn's only alternate is Rurarz-Huygens, a native of Reston, VA. Rurarz-Huygens finished with a rookie record of 34-11. Her 34 victories were second most on both the men's and women's teams. She placed seventh at the Mid-Atlantic/South Regionals and advanced to the second round of the individual IFA Championships, as well as helping the Red and Blue epee team earn a bronze medal at IFAs.

The men's and women's fencing teams combined for a fourth-place finish at the 106th IFA Championships held at Boston College on March 1. The Red and Blue men are coming off the program's 12th Ivy League title, first since 2000, and 11th Ancient Eight crown under Head Coach Dave Micahnik. The men finished 2003 13-3 overall and 4-1 in the Ivy League, while the women posted a 14-5 showing and a 2-3 mark.