NATIONAL COLLEGIATE MEN'S AND WOMEN'S FENCING

Dates and sites: The championships will be March 22-25 at Wisconsin-Parkside.

Field: A maximum of 144 fencers will compete in the championship, 24 in each of the six weapons (men's epee, men's foil, men's sabre, women's epee, women's foil, women's sabre). No more than two fencers in each weapon will be selected from one institution.

Selection date: March 15.

2000 champion: Penn State.

Top team contenders: Columbia-Barnard, Notre Dame, Penn State, St. John's (N.Y.), Stanford.

Top men's individual contenders: Patrick Durkan, Columbia; Daniel Landgren, Penn State; Felix Reichling, Stanford; Alex Roytblat, St. John's (N.Y.); Gabor Szelle, Notre Dame; Eric Tribbett, Stanford; Jan Viviani, Notre Dame.

Top women's individual contenders: Ute Breden, Stanford; Jessica Burke, Penn State; Natalia Mazur, Notre Dame; Emese Takacs, St. John's (N.Y.); Charlene Walker, Penn State.

Penn State has won eight of the 11 team titles since fencing became an NCAA championship sport. The Nittany Lions placed second the other three years.