Four Highlanders to Represent NJIT at 2023 National Collegiate Fencing Championship
Dominika Pawlowska, Justin Petway, Kevin Katayama and Cristian Candescu will represent NJIT at the 2023 National Collegiate Men's and Women's Fencing Championships in Durham, North Carolina and hosted by Duke University from March 23-26, 2023.
Twenty-eight member institutions will be represented at this year's fencing championships with a field of 144 competitors.
Pawlowska will compete in the women's epee competition while Petway will compete in the men's saber competition and Katayama and Candescu with compete in the men's foil competition.
Pawlowska, a senior from Zielona Gora, Poland will make her third straight trip to Nationals (2023, 2022, 2021). She placed fifth in the women's epee competition at the 2023 NCAA Regionals on March 11. For the season, she combined for a 99-12 overall record for a 89.19 winning percentage.
Petway, a graduate student from Plainfield, NJ, will make his second trip to Nationals (2023, 2021). He placed seventh in the men's saber competition at the 2023 NCAA Regionals on March 11. A member of the men's saber squad which picked up a third-place team finish at the 2023 MACFA Championships. For the season, Petway combined for a 21-6 overall record for a 77.8 winning percentage.
Katayama, a senior from Oakhurst, NJ, makes his second straight trip to Nationals (2023, 2022). He recorded a ninth place finish at the 2023 NCAA Regionals on March 11 in the men's foil competition. A member of the men's foil squad at the 2023 MACFA Championships, the Highlanders earned a third-place team finish. For the season, Katayama combined for a 60-20 overall record with a 75.00 winning percentage.
Candescu, a senior from Metuchen, NJ, will make his second trip to Nationals (2023, 2021). He registered a 12th place finish at the 2023 NCAA Regionals on March 11 in the men's foil competition. A member of the men's foil squad at the 2023 MACFA Championships, the Highlanders earned a third-place team finish. For the season, Candescu combined for a 84-38 overall mark for a 68.85 winning percentage.
The National Collegiate Men's and Women's Fencing Championships include individual events in each of six weapons (men's épée, men's foil, men's sabre, women's épée, women's foil and women's sabre). Fencers will compete in a round-robin format of five-touch bouts.
After round robin, the top-four finishers in each weapon will fence in semifinal 15-touch bouts, with winners fencing to determine first and second places, and non-advancing fencers being awarded a tie for third place.
The men will kick off the championship with round-robin bouts on Thursday March 23 followed by semifinals and finals on Friday March 24. The women will follow the same schedule on Saturday March 25 and Sunday March 26.
For more information about championships log on to ncaa.com. Opening rounds streamed live on Duke.com. A live feed of semifinal and final bouts will be available at 1:30 p.m. Eastern time on ESPN+. Semifinals and finals, along with other championships highlights, will air on ESPNU at 2 p.m. Eastern time, April 6.
2023 NCAA Fencing Championship Official Site
NCAA Official News Release
Championship Central