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CF366 Guest Columns – NCAA Capsule Previews
• Women's Foil – Dayana Sarkisova (Northwestern '13) | • Women's Epee – Hannah Safford (Princeton '13)
• Women's Sabre – Caroline Vloka (Harvard '12) | • Men's Foil – TBA
• Men's Epee – Jonathan Yergler (Princeton '13) | • Men's Sabre – Aleks Ochocki (Penn State '12)
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Former two-time NCAA men's sabre champion and Penn State legend Aleks Ochocki is back to lend his insight with another great guest column in advance of the 2014 NCAA mens' sabre competition. That's Ockocki, pictured at right, after winning the NCAAs as a freshman in 2009, being congratulated by his sabre coach Wes Glon (currently the PSU head coach).
2014 NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS – Men's Sabre (capsule preview)
By Akeks Ochocki (Penn State '12)
It’s that time of the year again, March Madness, the real madness where every single bout counts for your school and overall ranking. This is the only place where one can be truly crowned a champion after competing against every participant in his or her field. Here, there is no such thing as lose and go home, your mental endurance and concentration are tested to the fullest. The ability to bounce back from a loss and continue to push forward is the hardest part. If one falls into a downward spiral for even one round, it could cost them a chance at a title of any sorts.
This year’s Men’s Sabre event is an interesting one and up for grabs. With plenty of talented new faces but for the most part lacking experience, there is no clear favorite. Although, even with a clear favorite like last year’s Daryl Homer, upsets are bound to happen.
The most experienced of the pack is Penn State’s three-time All-American Adrian Bak. Coming off a strong regionals performance and last years third-place finish, he is the most decorated, qualified and experienced collegiate fencer in the sabre field. He should find himself once again in the Final Four [a.k.a. semifinals or medal round), with a great chance to win the title.
Next we have Penn State transfer Shaul Gordon representing UPenn. Gordon is a mentally tough fencer and proved it last season, placing second as a freshmen after upsetting two-time NCAA champion and 2012 Olympian Daryl Homer. Shaul also is a safe bet to find himself in the top four – although his one downfall is the lack of experience in his teammate and tournament traveling partner Steven Yang, who is competing in his first NCAA Championships. Having a strong partner to feed off of and help you bounce back is crucial in such a high-pressure tournament.
The top newcomer to this year’s tournament is St. John’s lefty Roman Sydorenko. Sydorenko was a Ukrainian Junior National Team Member before arriving in the states. This Ukrainian “monster” is just too big, too fast, too powerful and too determined to return to Queens empty handed. Sydorenko showcased his will and talents, dominating the regional qualifier. The focus and determination in this athlete’s eyes speaks for itself. A lot will have to go wrong to derail this Ukrainian train.
Lastly, the final spot in the Final Four. This slot is up for grabs with no clear participant catching the eye. This is going to be a close battle for fencers to claim their space.
Like I said before, the importance of a strong teammate/traveling partner makes all the difference. Therefore, I believe Penn State’s Kaito Streets and another St. John’s newcomer, Ferenc Valkai, have the upper hand. Now these are not just any two fencers fighting for the final slot. Streets was a member of the 2013 U.S Junior National Team and a qualifier for last year’s NCAA tournament, but PSU started Bak & Gordon. Then we have Valkai, a Hungarian Junior National Team Member and Team World Champion. His skill and talents are all worthy of a top four appearance but the questions remains whether he will be able to handle the pressure of such a tournament with such a unique format.
We also have Columbia’s Geoffrey Loss, again another 2013 U.S Junior National Team member, who clearly does not lack talent but I’m not sure he can handle the pressure.
Another duo that has a chance at sneaking one into the four is Notre Dame’s John Hallsten and Kevin Hassett. Although Hassett has the upper hand in terms of experience, think Hallsten is better suited for a tournament structure like this.
At the end of two days full of emotion and pressure, we will have a champion. I believe we will see a Sydorenko vs. Bak final, if they don’t draw each other in the semi. I will leave it to one of them to write their own ending, but Bak can end his collegiate career with a national championship if he can find a way to defeat Sydorenko’s speed and power.
– AO