CF360 2014 Fencer Focus (Q&A) – Women's Foil | Women's Epee | Women's Sabre
(posted below):
• Nicole Glon (Penn State)
• Adrienne Jarocki (Harvard), new for 2014
• Tiki Kastor (Temple)
• Kaya Klodawska (Wayne State)
• Gillian Litynski (North Carolina)
still to be added: Julia Abelsky (Northwestern), Alisha Gomez-Shah (Northwestern), Julia Greene (Sacred Heart), Teodora Kakhiana (Penn State), Joanna Lew (Yale), Caitlin Taylor (Brown) and Chriistine Whalen (Brown).
NICOLE GLON BIO
(originally submitted in 2013)
PENN STATE ... Sabre ... Sr. … State College, PA
Placed sixth at the 2013 NCAAs (9th in 2012, 17th in '1)
… seeded #2 at NCAA 2014 Mid-Atlantic/South Regional (placed 2nd)
Nicknames – Nikola
What would be the title of your autobiography? – "It’s a Polish Thing: The Nicole Glon Story"
Birthplace – State College, PA USA
Other noteworthy places where you/your family have lived – "My parents came from Poland."
High School – State College Area High School
High School's Nickname and Colors – State High (maroon and gray)
College Major – Public Relations with minors in Business and Spanish
Favorite College Class – "World Media Systems. I loved the class mainly because of my teachers, teaching style, but also because I am interested in other cultures and love learning how we are all connected especially in media."
Why I chose Penn State – "I was born bleeding Blue and White"
What I most like about being a student-athlete at Penn State – "I get to be apart of a team that is like a second family to me."
Dream job – "Something in event planning PR"
What I want to be doing in 10 years – "I want to be in a city may it be NYC or Chicago doing something with PR, hopefully married by then."
FENCING BACKGROUND ...
How I got started in fencing – "My father is the fencing coach at Penn State and fencing has always been a part of my family."
Family members/ancestors who have been fencers – Dad (saber)
Family ancestry from a traditional fencing country – Poland
Current coach – Wes Glon (Penn State)
Key influences on your fencing career – "My father is the biggest influence on my fencing career because he is the one that introduced me to the sport."
Three words that best describe your weapon coach – "passionate, emotional, entertaining"
ATHLETIC CAREER ...
Areas where I have improved recently – "I feel that year to year I am becoming mentally stronger, helping me focus more on my goal (to win that is)."
Key areas of improvement that remain for me – " I think that there is always room for improvements in any area, nobody is perfect."
How would you describe the college season – "It has been a rollercoaster ride this year. It has kept us on our toes and has kept us focused."
Present/former teammates who recently have fenced in the NCAAs for other teams – "Lian Osier (Notre Dame) we fenced on the junior national team together in Baku, Azerbaijan. Diamond Wheeler (Princeton) we fenced on the cadet national team together in Belfast, Ireland. I am good friends with both however I consider Lian to be a best friend. We Skype or call each other when we can. Lian and I have fenced multiple times and the wins tend to bounce back and forth. She is a great fencer and we always have good bouts."
Favorite international fencer – "Olga Kharlan is my favorite international fencer because of her style. Mariel Zagunes has always been a role model. However, Dagmara Wozniak was one of the first women’s saber fencers that I ever interacted with and has always been a role model to me. So nationally I would say Dagmara is my favorite."
Have you ever fenced other weapons on a competitive level – "I fenced foil when I started fencing, however that is a time I would like to forget."
What I like most about college fencing – "The team aspect of it. Fencing is such an individual sport and It is a nice transition to have a team that is cheering for you every step of the way."
If I could play another sport on the collegiate level – "Truthfully I don’t know but I have always liked playing tennis."
How long would you like to continue fencing on a competitive level? – "Right now my plan is to fence my senior year and then see where life takes me."
FAVORITES ...
Favorite college fencing road trip – "To Virginia Beach for a NAC in the beginning of the year. It was a long drive and a small van with my teammates how can that not be fun."
Favorite cities where you have fenced at an event – "In the states, Chicago is my favorite city where we have competed. Abroad it is hard to say but probably Iceland, because how many people can really say that they have been to Iceland?"
Favorite fencing moment – "Belfast, Ireland during cadet world championships when I came in third."
Most embarrassing moment on the fencing strip – "I don’t really get embarrassed, but I guess one funny story would be: One time I was celebrating, and I squatted on my tip toes and was yelling, then I lost balance and fell."
Strangest/rarest thing ever seen in a fencing my college team was competing in – "Last year during a college fencing match a spectator went a little crazy and started running around the gym screaming I LOVE FENCING. He was asked to leave and while he was being escorted out he almost attacked one of our girls, so our fencing coach (my dad) had to restrain him until the police came in."
Favorite Food – "Polish food of course!"
Favorite TV Show, Movie and Actress – New Girl, Breakfast at Tiffanys, Audrey Hepburn
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ADRIENNE JAROCKI BIO
HARVARD ... Sabre ... Fr. … Middle Village, NY
… seeded #1 at NCAA Northeast Regional (placed 1st)
Nicknames – Ada, Aid
Birthplace – Brooklyn, NY
Current Hometown - Middle Village, NY
High School – Bronx H.S. of Science (Bronx, NY)
High School's Nickname and Colors – Science (yellow & green)
College Major – Human Evolutionary Biology
Favorite College Class – “Life and Physical Sciences, because it was a great combination of chemistry and biology.”
Why I chose Harvard – “The members and dynamic of the fencing team, the location of the school, and the incredible academic opportunities.”
What I most like about being a student-athlete at Harvard – “Being an athlete at Harvard provides you with a second family to always be there for you when being a student can get stressful.”
Dream job – A dermatologist
What I want to be doing in 10 years – "I hope to have finished medical school, be married, and be a working dermatologist.”
FENCING BACKGROUND ...
How I got started in fencing – “My mom saw an advertisement for fencing in the newspaper and signed me up for a class. I started to like it, and slowly got more involved in the sport. Now it is one of the most significant parts of my life, so I’m always grateful that my mom happened to be reading that particular paper on a Sunday morning.”
Family ancestry from a traditional fencing country – “My family both from sides is Polish, and I know that Poland has been a fencing powerhouse.”
Current coaches – Jason Sheridan from Sheridan Fencing Academy, and Peter Brand from Harvard
Key influences on my fencing career – Jason Sheridan my coach at my club is completely responsible for the fencer I am today. He has taught me almost everything I know and never fails to motivate me.”
Three words that best describe my college head coach and/ or weapon coach – “Hilarious, Spontaneous, Motivational”
ATHLETIC CAREER ...
Pre-bout rituals or superstitions – “I do, but I don’t like people knowing what they are.”
Some areas where I have improved most this season – “I have learned how to fence 5-touch pool bouts a lot better, and how to approach them tactically.”
Key areas of improvement that remain for me – “I still need to improve on my ability to remain focused all day during a long tournament.”
Describe this college season – “I am really happy with my college season, and I think as a team we did extremely well. Coming second at the Ivy League championships was incredible, but aside from results we have grown so close together and are have been incredible teammates this season.”
Fencers in the 2014 NCAAs who I have fenced a high number of times – “Gracie Stone, almost every time we fence nationally or internationally our score is 15-14. Sometimes I win, sometimes she wins. I’ve only fenced her once collegiately and beat her at the Ivy League Championships.”
What I like most about college fencing – “I love the team dynamic that college fencing brings. I like how everyone contributes a little piece to an overall result, and how crazy emotional bouts can get with everyone cheering you on.”
What I would change about college fencing – “I would love for college fencing to be like an actual team event going up to 45 points. This would allow for anyone to make up someone’s bad performance because anyone can have a bad day. This would give college fencing a less predictable and more realistic nature.”
Did you play other sports at a high level (during high school)? – “I used to ballroom dance professionally.”
If I were to play another sport on the collegiate level, it would be – “Tennis, because it has a similar mental aspect required to be good that fencing does.”
How long would you like to continue fencing on a competitive level? – “Up until my body can’t handle it.”
FAVORITES
Favorite cities where you have fenced at an event – Budapest, Hungary & Porec, Croatia
Favorite/most memorable fencing moment – “Fencing the finals at the 2013 Junior World Championships.”
Most embarrassing moment on the fencing strip – “Screaming and turning around when I didn’t actually hit or when the touch wasn’t mine.”
Favorite pro sports athlete? – Rafael Nadal
Favorite Food – “I love absolutely everything.”
Favorite TV Show and Movie – Friends & Inception & Titanic
Favorite Actor – Leonardo Dicaprio
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TIKI KASTOR BIO
(originally submitted in 2012)
Temple ... Sabre ... Jr. ... New York, NY
Placed 14th at 2013 NCAAs
… #9 seed entering 2014 NCAA Mid-Atlantic/South Regional (placed 8th)
Nickname – Teeks
Birthplace – New York, NY (Manhattan)
Other noteworthy places where myfamily have lived – “My mother is from Jamaica.”
High School – Eleanor Roosevelt High School (New York, NY)
High School's Nickname and Colors – Elro (blue and white)
College Major – Visual Studies (Art)
Favorite College Class – Personal Defense for Women because I felt really empowered after completing the class
Dream job – “Working at Nylon Magazine”
FENCING BACKGROUND …
How I got started in fencing – “I read an article about the fencers club online and began to take classes soon after and never stopped!”
Family members who have been fencers – “My father Jacaeber Kastor recently started fencing saber.”
Current coaches – Temple: Nikki Franke, Anatassia Ferdman ... Club: Sergey Isayenko and Yury Gelman at Manhattan Fencing Center
Key influences on my fencing career – “My father, because without his support I wouldn’t have been able achieve as much as I have in this sport.”
ATHLETIC CAREER ...
Areas where I have recently improved – “My ability to stay focused while fencing under pressure.”
Key areas of improvement that remain for me – “Learning what are my strengths and using them to my advantage as well as taking more risks.”
Present/former teammates who will be fencing in the 2014 NCAAs for other teams – "Columbia’s Will Spear from Manhattan Fencing Center ... in 2012, also was Anna Limbach, Daryl Homer and Sean Buckley (all from St. John’s)."
What I like most about college fencing – “The team spirit and support I receive from my teammates.”
If Iwere to play another sport on the collegiate level – “I've always been really fascinated with gymnastics.”
FAVORITES …
Favorite cities where I have fenced at an event – “Dormagen, Germany because the event is put together well and I've enjoyed being able to explore other cities while in Germany.”
Favorite Food – Pizza
Favorite TV Show and Actor – Arrested Development, Tom Hardy
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KAJA KLODOWSKA BIO
(originally submitted in 2013)
WAYNE STATE ... Sabre ... Sr. ... Lodz, Poland
Placed 17th at 2013 NCAAs
… #7 seed entering 2014 NCAA Midwest Regional (placed 3rd)
Nickname – Kajuta
Birthplace – Lodz, Poland
Anything notable or unusual about my hometown – “Piotrkowska Street, the main artery of my city Lodz, is one of the longest commercial thoroughfares in Europe, with a length of 4.9 km.”
High School – zsp 3, Lodz
College Major – kinesiology
What I most like about being a student-athlete at Wayne State – “Visiting other states.”
Dream job? – physical therapist
What I want to be doing in 10 years? – “Work with athletic teams.”
FENCING BACKGROUND ...
How I got started in fencing – “My father once was a fencer, so when I was 11 he took me to the fencing practice.”
Family members who have been fencers – “My dad Zbigniew was a sabre fencer for couple of years. For my first practice, I went with my older sister Karolina, but she resigned after three months.”
Current coach – Jerzy Radz (Wayne State)
Former coach – Wojciech Makowka
Key influences on my fencing career – “I would say my dad, who was pushing me to practice when I was 13.”
Three words that best describe my college head coach – “Expert, talented, funny.”
ATHLETIC CAREER …
Pre-bout ritual – “Most of the time, I relax my shoulders.”
Areas where I improved most recently – footwork
Key areas of improvement that remain for me – mental game
How would you describe the college season? – “Stressful but enjoyable.”
Favorite international/national-team fencer – “Aldo Montano. I enjoy watching his fencing, it is like magic.”
What I like most about college fencing – “Traveling the USA .”
What I would change about college fencing – “Maybe it could be less intense?”
If I were to play another sport on the collegiate level – volleyball
How long would you like to continue fencing on a competitive level? – “A couple of years.”
FAVORITES ...
Favorite college fencing roadtrip – “I liked Duke. The school surroundings are so pretty, made me more relaxed before competition.”
Favorite cities where I have fenced at an event – “Duke and New York, because the schedule of tournament is composed and prepared really good.”
Favorite/most memorable fencing moment – “The 2013 Midwest Regional I came in thirrd place. I enjoyed my fencing that day.”
Strangest/rarest thing ever seen in a fencing match my college team was competing in – “Competition at NYU. There were two completely new studentf fencers, fencing each other. Both started fencing in fall 2012. The final score was 5:4. I felt like back in a day when I started fencing.”
Favorite pro sports teams – “I love watching volleyball and handball men’s Polish National teams. European football (soccer) teams such as Chelsea and Real Madrid. Ski jumper Adam Malysz.”
Favorite Food – “I enjoy all kinds of food, especially Polish cuisine.”
Favorite TV Show and Movie – Greys Anatomy, Bridget Jones Diary
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GILLIAN LITYNSKI BIO
(originally submitted in 2013)
North Carolina ... Sabre ... Jr. ... Niskayuna, NY
2013 NCAA semifinalist
… #7 seed entering 2014 NCAA Northeast Regional (placed 6th)
Birthplace – San Diego, CA
High School – Niskayuna High School
High School Nickname and Colors – Niskayuna Warriors (silver and red)
College Majors – Nursing and Global Studies
Favorite Class at UNC – “Microbiology, because the immune system is so interesting.”
Why I chose UNC – “They have a great nursing school and who doesn't love Tar Heel blue?”
What I like most about being a student-athlete at UNC – “I love the community between all the athletes at UNC.”
Dream job? – “A nurse working for a non-profit organization in developing countries.”
FENCING BACKGROUND …
How I got started in fencing? – “In 2006, at my town's rec center.”
Current family members involved in fencing – “My sister Jackie is a sophomore in high school and already competing with me!
Current coaches – Carolyn Washburn (Beaches Sabre Club-NY), Ron Miller (UNC), Matt Jednak (UNC)
Three words that describe coach Miller – “Passionate, Invested, Experienced”
ATHLETIC CAREER
Pre-bout rituals or superstitions – “I listen to happy music and picture hiking with my friends.”
Areas where I recently have improved – “I got more experience than ever in 2013, including going to my first Jr. World Cup in Udine, Italy.”
Did you participate in other sports during high school? – “I was a varsity track and field runner for three years (400m and 800m).”
FAVORITES ...
Food – Strawberries