PRESS & PROJECTS
Museum of American Fencing: NCAA Fencing Championships Individual Results by School (1941-2019)
All-American 2008, 2009 Now in his senior year, All-American Daniel Bak will look to build upon his third place finish at the NCAA Championships last March.
LION CAREER:
2008-09: Bak earned his second All-America honor last season with a third place finish at NCAAs here at Penn State. The New Jersey native won 18 bouts to earn the bronze medal. He went 21-4 during the regular season and took second at Mid-Atlantic/South Regionals. 2007-08: Bak went 20-10 last year combined in the Penn State duals and the Northwestern duals. His third place finish at Regionals clinched him a spot to nationals. There he earned third place to become an All-American. 2006-07: Bak went 31-5 last year and was second on the saber team in wins. He placed seventh at the Mid-Atlantic/South Regionals, missing out on a chance to go to nationals as a freshman.
HIGH SCHOOL/PERSONAL:
Bak fenced at the PWF Fencing Club. He is a 2006 graduate of Ramapo High School where he was a member of the National Honor Society. He placed fifth at the 2006 Division I Saber National Championships.
2009-10 Penn State Fencing Media Guide - Yearbook
2019-20 Penn State Fencing Media Guide - Yearbook
Best International Athletic Career Rank: #24 (J)
The FIE (Fédération Internationale d'Escrime) International Fencing Federation is the governing body of the Olympic sport of Fencing on a global level.
Korean eyewear brand Gentle Monster truly pushes boundaries—a rare feat for a narrowly focused line. They’ve designed ski goggle-like sunnies for Hood by Air, collaborated with Opening Ceremony, and their Soho store even features a gallery space with rotating exhibitions. But all of the avant-garde shades in the world couldn’t prepare us for their show last night at MADE New York. The glasses were fantastic, with styles ranging from Kurt Cobain’s classics to oversized, rounded aviators, and they’re all impeccably made. They’re light, and exceedingly well-constructed.
But Gentle Monster’s version of a presentation was unlike anything we’ve ever seen. The brand cut the Milk Studios runway space in half with a mirrored wall, bathed in blue neon light. Models slowly emerged, and began to—wait for it—fence. If you think about it, fencing, with its fitted, all-white outfits and swords, is a supremely fashionable sport. Weapons of death are chic! In front of a small crowd of VIPs (including the genius FKA Twigs), the models went all Inigo Montoya and then removed their helmets to reveal the creations underneath. En garde.
Model Moment: The fencers who were actual Olympic fencers! it was honestly hard to tell the Olympic fencers apart from the models because they were all so beautiful.
Penn State fencers capture 2010 National Championship
Cambridge, Mass. — The Penn State fencers are national champions once again, despite starting the final day of competition Sunday (March 28) at the 2010 NCAA Championships in third place and only winning one individual title. This is the team's fifth national title win in the past decade.
Sunday marked the final day of competition at the NCAA National Fencing Championships, held this year at Harvard, with the men's individual titles still up for the taking.
In the men's saber, senior Daniel Bak (Franklin Lakes, N.J.) entered the semifinals in first place, which placed him against fellow teammate, sophomore Aleksander Ochocki (Clark, N.J.), who ended the regular round in fourth place.
Ochocki lost the bout to Bak by a 15-12 score, ending his chance to win back-to-back individual titles. Bak continued on to the final round against St. John's Daryl Homer, but fell short of winning his first individual title with a 15-10 loss.
Coach Emmanuil Kaidanov said he was overwhelmed with joy that the team managed to come back strong and win.
"It's a great achievement, even when it was not expected," Kaidanov said. "But today's performances were flawless, they did a super job... It was a great day and another sensation was that the second place team was St. John's and that the favorite, Notre Dame, was third place. I think we are fortunate to have such outstanding fencers. I'm very proud."
28 MAR 2010: Daryl Homer of St. John's makes a move against Daniel Bak of Penn State University during the Division I Men's Fencing Championship held at the Albert H. Gordon Indoor Track on the Harvard University campus in Cambridge, MA. Homer defeated Bak 15-10 for the victory. Damian Strohmeyer/NCAA Photos via Getty Images
Penn State Moves Up to Second Place in the NCAA Fencing Championships
CAMBRIDGE, Mass.- After the first day of the men's competition at the NCAA Fencing Championships, Penn State had four fencers with top-five finishes and put the team in second place in the overall team standings. The team ended with 150 victories, two wins ahead of Notre Dame and two wins behind St. John's.
In the men's saber, senior Daniel Bak (Franklin Lakes, N.J.) finished tied for first place with 13 victories. He is tied with St. John's Daryl Homer.
Coach Emmanuil Kaidanov was most impressed with Bak's performance at today's competition. He said, "Daniel Bak was almost perfect. He was confident, he was strong and he did very well."
Bak is in pursuit of his first National Title in his collegiate fencing career.
NCAA MEN'S SABRE SEMIFINAL BOUT: OCHOCKI V BAK
Men's fencing in first after first day of NCAA Championships
University Park, Pa. — Penn State is first in the men's overall team standings at the NCAA Fencing Championships, being held at Penn State's University Park campus. With a total of 61 victories on the day the Nittany Lions remain five victories ahead of Ohio State. Penn State came up with a total of 24 victories in sabre, 23 victories in foil, and 14 victories in epee. Friday, the final day of men's competition, will decide the national champions.
Daniel Bak (Franklin Lakes, N.J.) finished second in men's sabre behind Ohio State's Mike Momtselidze. Bak had 12 victories on the day. Finishing out the top four was freshman Aleksander Ochocki (Clark, N.J.). He had 12 victories on the day as well.
Penn State teammates Daniel Bak (left) and Aleksander Ochocki face off in the saber semis.
Penn State fencing hosts NCAA Championships
March 19, 2009
University Park, Pa . — Coach Emmanuil Kaidanov and the 12 members of the Penn State men's and women's fencing teams are not headed far from home for the 2009 NCAA Fencing Championships, hosted at University Park this upcoming weekend. The teams will be competing for their 11th national crown.
Junior Daniel Bak (Franklin Lakes, N.J.) on his second trip to nationals, will be representing the Nittany Lion men in the sabre division. He has a record of 21-4 this year and finished second at regionals. He is seeking to accomplish more than his third place finish from last year. Joining him will be freshman Aleksander Ochocki (Clark, N.J.). At regionals, Ochocki finished right behind teammate Bak in third. He is bringing a record of 29-8 to nationals.
Penn State Secures 2009 NCAA Fencing Title
Fencers from Penn State University (PSU) locked up 4 individual titles on the way to propelling the school to its 11th combined team title since 1990 when the current format began.
2008 NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS BRONZE MEDAL BOUT: BAK VS. CLEMENT
2008 NCAA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
AWARDED 1ST TEAM ALL-AMERICAN
Nittany Lions finish fourth at NCAA Fencing Championships
In the saber division, sophomore Daniel Bak (Franklin Lakes, N.J.) finished in third place for the national championship. In pool play, Bak finished with 17 victories, which was good enough for a four seed in the tournament. He lost in the first round to Mike Momtselidze (Ohio State). In the consolation matchup, he defeated Luther Clement (St. Johns) to capture a third place finish for the championship. Franz Boghicev (Dormagen, Germany) was the other notable finisher in the division taking fifth place with 16 victories.
Drew University
Lions Tied for National Lead in NCAA Championships Since 2007
Penn State's lengthy National Championship history dates to 1921, including another crown this year, which has helped keep the Nittany Lions at the forefront nationally in NCAA title success.
The Nittany Lions have won at least one NCAA title in each of the past 11 academic years, starting in 2006-07.
Penn State's 19 NCAA Championships are more than double the number of NCAA titles won by every Big Ten Conference institution over the past 10 years, with Ohio State second with nine.
Men's and Women's Fencing: 2007, 2009, 2010, 2014
The counting started with the fencing team's title in 2007. Penn State has won three NCAA championships since then and leads the nation with 13 championships. Notre Dame is second with five.
White House, Washington D.C.
President Bush Welcomes 2006 and 2007 NCAA Sports Champions to White House.
I want to welcome all the team captains, the coaches, the school officials and all the fans who have joined us. You're different -- you've come from different schools, different sports, but you deserve to be called "champion."
I also appreciate the fact that we've got Academic All-Americans and National Scholar Athletes on this team, as well. Congratulations on achieving excellence on all fronts, and welcome to the White House. (Applause.)
As I explained to some of the teams, one of the reasons why I love to welcome people here is to remind you that you can be a champ on the field and you can be a champ off the field. Because you're a champ on the field, you have a chance to inspire somebody to make right choices in life. You have the opportunity to set a good example. You don't know how many youngsters are looking at you, but there's a lot. People are wondering how champs behave. So by setting high standards and working hard to achieve them, you're influencing other people.
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Members of the Penn State women's volleyball and the men's and women's fencing national championship teams will travel to Washington D.C. on Monday, Sept. 13 to visit the White House and meet with the President of the United States for NCAA Champions Day.
The Nittany Lions are two of more than 30 teams to be honored at the White House. In association with the event, the President will also recognize various championship teams and individual student-athletes for their contributions to their communities, continuing efforts by President Obama to commend sports champions for service.
In 2009, the Penn State women's volleyball team earned a come-from-behind 3-2 victory against Texas for an unprecedented third straight NCAA National Championship. The program has four overall. The Nittany Lions were a perfect 38-0 for the second consecutive season and captured their seventh Big Ten title in a row with a 20-0 league record. Megan Hodge (Durham, N.C.) was named the AVCA Division I National Player of the Year and joined Alisha Glass (Leland, Mich.) and Arielle Wilson (Broadview, Ill.) on the NCAA Championship All-Tournament Team.
The Penn State fencers won their fifth national title in the last decade on March 28. It was the team's second consecutive NCAA Championship win. Head coach Emmanuil Kaidanov has led the Nittany Lions to 12 national championships and 27 individual titles.
Last year, Kaidanov's team rolled to the title, outdistancing second place St. John's by nearly 10 points. Freshman Margerita Guzzi Vincenti (Milan, Italy) won the individual national title in the women's epee to lead Penn State. Guzzi Vincenti was one of nine All-Americans for Penn State, including two-time national champion Doris Willette (Lafayette, Calif.), who was second in the foil. Willette's brother David Willette (Lafayette, Calif.), a freshman, was national runner-up in the men's foil while Daniel Bak (Franklin Lakes, N.J.), was second in the men's saber.
For more information on the Penn State women's volleyball team and Penn State men's and women's fencing, please visit GoPSUsports.com. The Penn State women's volleyball 2010 season is presented by Rockvale Outlets and The Outlets at Hershey.
Shenzhen China, 08/16/2011
(Colorado Springs, Colo.) – Team USA opened the World University Games in Shenzhen, China with three top-16 finishes by members of the U.S. Women’s Epee Team on Saturday.
In the men’s saber competition, Daniel Bak (Franklin Lakes, N.J. / Penn State University) earned his best international finish this season with a 17th place result.
Bak won four of five pool bouts to earn a bye into the table of 32 before losing to Philemon Barruyer (FRA), 15-9.
17. Daniel Bak (Franklin Lakes, N.J. / Penn State University)
Men’s Individual Saber
17. Daniel Bak (Franklin Lakes, N.J. / Penn State University)
37. Aleksander Ochocki (Clark, N.J. / Penn State University)
38. Jeff Spear (Wyantskill, N.Y. / Columbia University)
40. Adrian Bak (Franklin Lakes, N.J. / Penn State University)
Shenzhen China, 08/13/2011
World University Games starts August 13th
This weekend marks the start of the fencing competitions at the 2011 Universiade, commonly referred to as the World University Games. The Universiade is held every four years in the year preceding the Summer Olympic Games.
The United States is sending a full contingent of 24 fencers selected based on eligibility and results from Division I NAC events and World Cup/World Championship events.
Men’s Saber
NYAC All Sports Dinner, honoring World Team Members and National Champions.
At the All Sports Dinner, the New York Athletic Club (NYAC) celebrates the athletic grit, courage, and relentless pursuit of perfection.
The New York Athletic Club fencing program has a long and proud history of success at the highest levels.
Since its inception, the fencing program has produced world champions, Olympic medalists, national champions, NCAA champions, Pan American champions, Maccibia Games champions, junior world champions and Junior Olympic champions.
Penn State News, April 11, 2008
University Park, Pa. — After the completion of 11 winter championships, Penn State is now in fourth place in the Division I U.S. Sports Academy Directors' Cup standings. Penn State, which was previously second in the cup standings after the completion of eight winter championships, still moved up one spot in the standings from their fifth place spot at the conclusion of the fall championships. Penn State also remains the highest in the standings of any Big Ten school following the winter season.
The fencing team, which entered this year's NCAA Championships as the defending national champions, took home 80 points for Penn State with a fourth place finish this year. The fencing team was led by several top 10 finishes in their respective divisions by individuals on both the men's and women's sides. On the women's side, Allison Glasser finished in fifth place with a total of 19 victories in the foil division while in the epee division, Keri Byerts and Anastasia Ferdman placed fifth and sixth, respectively. On the men's side, Penn State represented one fencer in each of the three final four brackets as Arthur Urman placed second in the epee division with 15 victories. In the saber division, Daniel Bak finished in third place with 17 victories in pool play. Franz Boghicev also took fifth in the saber division. In the foil division, Nick Chinman finished fourth, compiling 18 victories in the pool play.
Three other talented veterans will join Boghicev in the saber, led by sophomore Daniel Bak. Bak posted a 31-5 record in 2006-07 as a freshman. Joining Bak to contend for a starting spot will be classmate William Anderson, who went 4-0 last season, and senior Alexander Vongreis.
2008 JUNIOR OLYMPIC CHAMPION
DANIEL BAK, NEW JERSEY
Southern California Division of the United States Fencing Association, 12/8/2017
The Origin of the Junior Olympics
The Junior Olympics have earned their place as an essential element in the development of world-class fencers in the United States. USFA Vice President Dr. Ralph Zimmermann called the Junior Olympics “the single most important achievement in the entire history of our organization.”
GoPSUSports, 03/16/2009
Emmanuil Kaidanov and the 12 members of the Penn State men's and women's fencing teams are not headed far from home for the 2009 NCAA Fencing Championships, hosted in University Park this upcoming weekend. The teams will be competing for their eleventh national crown.
Junior Daniel Bak (Franklin Lakes, N.J.) on his second trip to nationals, will be representing the Nittany Lion men in the saber division. He has a record of 21-4 this year and finished second at regionals. He is seeking to accomplish more than his third place finish from last year. Joining him will be freshman Aleksander Ochocki (Clark, N.J.). At regionals, Ochocki finished right behind teammate Bak in third. He is bringing a record of 29-8 to nationals.
Penn State is looking to bring home their eleventh national title after finishing fourth at last year's NCAA Championships. The Nittany Lions have won ten national titles under Kaidanov. In the 2009 USFCA College Fencing Coaches' Poll, both the men's and women's teams were ranked second.
Team USA, 06/17/2011
(Colorado Springs, Colo.) – Thirty U.S. athletes have been named to the roster of fencers that will compete at the New York Saber World Cup in New York City from June 24-25.
Held at the New York Athletic Club, this will be the only World Cup Olympic qualifying event to be held on U.S. soil during the lead-up to the London Olympic Games.
Individual preliminary competition will be held on June 24. The table of 64 and all medal rounds will be conducted on June 25. A team competition will take place on June 26. Media interested in attending the event may download a credential application by clicking here.
The lineup is led by two members of the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team that won a silver medal in Beijing.
Go PSU Sports, 02/20/2007
Freshman Daniel Bak (Franklin Lakes, N.J.) led the Nittany Lion fencers at the Junior Olympics this past weekend. He finished second in the mens saber division out of 179 fencers from around the country.
Tim Morehouse Wordpress, 05/4/2012
Fencing Masters NYC - Future Stars Champion
Dan is back for more! He’s competing this weekend at Fencing Academy of South Jersey hoping to earn his way back to the Future Stars Championship and then wring out another victory that will put him in the main event!…this time in front of 2000+ spectators! In 2010, the Future Stars Championship was only saber, but now it is a 6-weapon team of foil, epee and saber both men and women that will fight their way to the main event.
Want to take your shot?
In 2010, Dan Bak captured the first ever Future Stars Championship at the Fencing Masters NYC. His prize? A place in the main event fencing in front of 1800+ spectators against Olympic Champion Aldo Montano. Dan nearly pulled off an upset, falling 14-15 to Montano in a tough fought match. (Video Below)
(L-R) Olympic Gold medalist Aldo Montano from Italy and Daniel Bak, Team USA participate at the Fencing Masters NYC Tournament and Expo at the Hammerstein Ballroom on November 17, 2010 in New York City.
Tim Morehouse Wordpress, 10/11/2010
ALL-AMERICAN PSU ALUM DAN BAK QUALIFIERS FOR FENCING MASTERS EXPO TOURNAMENT AT NJFA QUALIFIER!
Fencing against a field of 50+ competitors in New Jersey this past weekend, First Team NCAA All-American Dan Bak prevailed and qualified for the Fencing Masters Expo Tournament!
Dan will be competing on Nov. 17th from 3-7pm at Hammerstein Ballroom with the rest of the FM qualifier champions with the chance to fence Olympic Champion Aldo Montano in the main event.
GoPSUtv, 02/8/10
Daniel Bak, Franklin Lakes, NJ
Peter Westbrook Foundation
Junior Olympic National Champion
NCAA All-American & National Champion
USA World Championship Team Member
Polish & Slavic Federal Credit Union
The annual NCAA Championship fencing tournament was hosted by the Pennsylvania’s Penn State University in March of 2009. The school was visited by the best academic school teams that competed not only for team points but also individually.Students of the Polish-American Fencing Club run by Janusz Mlynek in Linden, NJ enjoyed tremendous success at the tournament: Aleksander Ochocki, Karolina Vlodka, Dagmara Wozniak, Monika Aksamit and Daniel Bak received the honorary “All-American” titles. Polish & Slavic federal Credit Union has been a sponsor of the Janusz Mlynek Fencing School and its students for many years now. News about Polish club’s success is a perfect example that investing in our youth is a worthwhile effort. Providing assistance to sports organization is one of the many forms of support offered by PSFCU to the Polish community. We hope to hear more good news about the Fencing School’s achievements in the future. On behalf of the entire Polish and Slavic Federal Credit Union, we would like to congratulate Mr. Mlynek, wishing them further successes.
While there can be a wing in the Penn State All-Sports Museum solely dedicated to athletic families, brothers Adrian and Daniel Bak are attached in a way many are not; being part of the All-American kinfolk.
Daniel went on to graduate in 2010, but Adrian has since carried the family torch in the fencing program with great pride and a monkey on his back to live up to his brother's career.
"I always pushed him to be better, but I think when I started getting scholarship offers from big schools. That's when he wanted to pursue fencing as more than a game," Daniel said.
Daniel molded himself into Penn State lure after being part of multiple national championship teams and being named to three All-American teams.
With Penn State claiming both the No. 1 ranking in men's and woman's fencing for the first time in years, it is understandable that ego can disrupt your vision, but Daniel has kept Adrian on a clear path.
"I told him to stay aware that it's not about where you're ranked, but if you can go out and play your best for those two days of national championships," Daniel said.
Daniel went on to say that in each season the team won a national championship, they did not have the honor of being ranked no. 1 in both categories.
Daniel being able to experience all the big stages a couple of years ahead of his younger brother has put Adrian in a unique position of knowing what to expect from what is left in his career.
Penn Stater Magazine, 03/20/2009
Penn State teammates Daniel Bak (left) and Aleksander Ochocki face off in the saber semis.
I had a blast showing my four-year-old these “real” sword-fighters, though I found it difficult to explain how two Penn State fencers could face each other (as happened when Daniel Bak faced teammate Aleksander Ochocki in the semifinals of saber). “But which one’s the stinky team, Daddy?” he asked. As my son understands it, sports involve a good team (usually Penn State) playing a “stinky” team (often Michigan or Ohio State). I tried to explain how fencing is an individual sport, and that two athletes from the same team occasionally have to compete against each other.
A Ball Had With Gowns, Tails and Livestock
Viennese Opera Ball at the Waldorf Astoria featured waltzing debutantes, live opera performances and livestock
As performers at the 61st Viennese Opera Ball at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel prepared to present a program celebrating the work of Mozart, some focused on their co-star Lord, a handsome black horse.
A wonderful history of this building.”
Wonderful history, and the unique trappings that accompany it, was a large part of the ball’s appeal. The ultra formal dress code was a novelty, even for regulars at formal events and charity galas.
“This is almost one of those bucket-list items. We’ve always wanted to do a white tie and tails event,” said Richard Martin, director of development at Ronald McDonald House of New York, who attended with his husband, Morris Gaines. Mr. Martin was making his maiden voyage in tails, while Mr. Gaines, a former ballet dancer, had more experience. Others in the crowd donned an assortment of medals and decorations.
We Tried It: Attending the Ultra-Glam, Debutante Viennese Opera Ball
Waltzes! German pretzels! White gloves!
On Friday February 2nd, the Viennese Opera Ball held their 63rd edition in New York City at the Ziegfeld Ballroom under the gracious patronage of H.E. Alexander Van der Bellen, President of the Republic of Austria, and The Honorable Michael Häupl, Governor and Mayor of Vienna. The Ball, which is the oldest white tie charity gala in New York, benefitted the music therapy program at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center with support from Gabrielle’s Angel Foundation for Cancer Research.
Led by Silvia Frieser, President and Executive Director, and Daniel Serafin, Artistic Director, with the support of platinum sponsor Silhouette, an Austrian eyewear company, the ball celebrated 12 debutantes and their escorts including Archduchess Isabella von Habsburg of Austria, escorted by Daniel Bak, Eugenia Bullock of New York escorted by Ryan Thomas Roth, son of skin care mogul Peter Thomas Roth, Meredith Baker Schott of New York, escorted by Gerard William Ford III, grandson of Eileen Ford, as they made their formal debut to international society.
QUADRILLE BALL FEATURED IN BILL CUNNINGHAM'S EVENING HOURS
The 56th Annual Quadrille Ball is featured in New York Times, 2016
“Fall/Winter 2012 marks the first of a four season collaboration with North Carolina based Raleigh Denim. The collaboration was birthed out of a desire to develop a product that was rooted in American culture and manufacture it in the same way it was when jeans were first constructed in the 1880’s. Our interest in working with Raleigh Denim is based on the shared principle of making things correctly, no matter the cost or time.” -Native Son on their collab with Raleigh Denim:
New York Fashion Week has been quite exceptional thus far and Native Son continues with the presentation of their Fall 2012 collection. Fall/Winter 2012 marks the first of a four season collaboration with North Carolina based Raleigh Denim. The goal is to develop product that values American culture and pays homage to the old manufacturing techniques of the late 1800s. Native Son’s offerings as a whole take inspiration from this ethos with well-made product that’s both modern and versatile. Most of the pieces are neutral and subdued but there are shots of brown that really stand out.
Photographer | DEMETRIUS FORDHAM
stylist | KATIE BURNETT @ ATELIER MANAGEMENT
style editor | DREW TAYLOR
creative director | JOANNE GENZONE
Makeup | JESSICA BUTTERFIELD
hair | LEO CREWS
Models |
JANA W.
KATYA
CHRISTIAN
DANIEL B.
Elite Traveler Magazine January/February 2013
FASHION
PHOTOGRAPY BY DEMETRIUS FORDHAM
STYLING BY KATIE BURNETT
Spring’s mod influences give way to the next
generation of chic, sleek street style.
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Mariel Zagunis, Seth Kelsey among U.S. fencers headed for world championships
ATLANTA, Ga. – Twenty-four American fencers will be heading to Paris, France for the 2010 Senior World Championships
Men's Saber Team
Timothy Morehouse, Daryl Homer, Benjamin Igoe, James Williams
Alternates
Mihail Etropolski, Jeffrey Spear, Daniel Bak, Andrew Fischl
HURLEY CAPTURES SECOND GOLD AT JUNIOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
ACIREALE, Italy – Men’s Team Sabre
The U.S. team of Daniel Bak, Daryl Homer, Jeff Spear, and Barron Nydam was seeded sixth in the 25-team sabre competition. After a first-round bye, they faced 11th seed Spain, which defeated Kuwait 45-37 in the first round. The Americans never trailed, and defeated Spain 45-39.
In the quarterfinal, the Americans faced third-seed Canada. Bak, Spear, and new starter Nydam combined to give team USA a 15-8 lead after three rounds, highlighted by Nydam’s 5-2 win over bronze medalist Vincent Couturier, and cruised to a surprising 45-25 win. Nydam, Spear, and Bak defeated Couturier by a 15-5 margin to pace the Americans.
In the semifinal, the United States faced second-seed Hungary. Spear and Homer gave the U.S. a 10-7 lead after two rounds, but Csaba Gall overpowered Bak 8-1 to give the Hungarians a 15-11 lead that they would never relinquish. Nydam came on to replace Bak in the eighth round with the USA trailing 35-20, but he fell to bronze medalist Nikolasz Iliasz 5-1, leaving the Americans staring at an almost-insurmountable 40-21 deficit. Spear gamely fought sixth-place finisher Aron Szilaghyi, beating him 8-5, but the result was sufficient for Hungary to win by a comfortable 45-29 margin.
Team USA then faced Germany for the bronze medal. After Spear defeated Marlon Hirzmann 5-3, Benedikt Wagner defeated Homer 8-2 to give the Germans a 10-7 lead that they held the rest of the way. Nydam battled Max Hartung to a 5-5 draw, and beat Hirzmann 7-5 before losing to Wagner 5-3 in his last bout. Hirzmann clinched the bronze for Germany by beating Homer 5-1 in the final round, making the score 45-35.
Peter Westbrook Foundation
Men's Sabre Team
Bak, Adrian (*1991-07-19)
Bak, Daniel (*1988-11-12)
Clement, Luther C. (*1985-02-09)
Men's Sabre Team
Bak, Daniel (*1988-11-12)
Burgunder, Quinten A. (*1995-03-13)
Spear, Jeffrey Kimball "Jeff" (*1988-06-28)
Spear, William (*1993-04-17)
NEW YORK CITY FENCING TEAMS TAKE HOME THE GOLD
ATLANTA, Ga. – The Peter Westbrook Foundation defeated New York Athletic Club, 45-35, in the men’s saber final. New York Athletic Club came in second again in men’s epee, losing a 45-39 decision to Empire United Fencing.
After recording the last touch in a 45-44 semifinal win over a tough Manhattan Fencing Center team, Daniel Bak recorded five straight touches to close out the final for the Westbrook Foundation. Bak finished 15-5 in the bout, leading his team to the title.
“We've gone through so much, we've trained all year, really hard, just for this moment,” Bak said. “Especially at our club, it's a huge deal. We're just excited to have worked so hard and the rewards are there. I'm glad that my team put me in a position to finish it off.”
“I’m just happy to be part of Peter Westbrook [Foundation] because it's not all about the result but it helps us perform better,” Daniel Bak said. “The support's always there and everyone's trying to help each other and make each other better and push our clubs to being one of the top ones in the country.”
PETER WESTBROOK FOUNDATION (PWF) TEAMS UNITE FOR 2010 U.S. NATIONAL FENCING CHAMPIONSHIPS
Highlighting the championships was the PWF Men's Sabre team capturing its 10th national team title. Composed of Daniel Bak (individual bronze medalist) and Adrian Bak (junior gold medalist), the team entered the field of 30 teams with modest ambitions but quickly found their collective stride and proved to be a formidable force as they eliminated some of the nations top teams.
Most notable of all, however, was the come-from-behind victory against defending champions Manhattan Fencing Center. Facing a team starting one Olympic medalist and one World Team member, the PWF was pitted as relative underdogs and was forced to fight back from an early deficit for the entirety of the match. In heroic fashion, displaying poise, composure and a will to win, Dan Bak would step up in the final bout to take the match by defeating Daryl Homer in a thrilling one touche finale, 45-44. The win would spur on victories in other events that had yet to compete. The PWF Senior Women's foil team would go on to claim the championship with landslide victories over their competitors. The Senior Men's Epee team and the Peter Westbrook Junior Sabre Team would go on to earn silver medals in their events as well.
"In all 19 years of the foundation, this national championships is the most exciting I've ever seen," exclaimed Peter Westbrook, founder of the Peter Westbrook Foundation. "Now, with our Olympians and Olympic medalists retired, we have unveiled a new generation of foundation champions. With their outstanding performances in Atlanta, this new crop has proven that they are capable of achieving and even surpassing the success of their predecessors."
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Mercedes Benz Fashion Week
Simply styled, meticulously detailed American-made jeans, produced in small batches, are what North Carolina-based husband-and-wife duo Sarah and Victor Lytvinenko are all about.
Vogue, 2013
WWD, 2013
EDITORIAL
EDITORIAL
2006 DIVISION 1 MEN'S SABRE
Pivotal career moment, Daniel Bak finished fifth in Division 1 USA National Championships among current and future Olympians leading to recruitment offers from the top collegiate programs.
All-North Jersey, The Record
All-Decade Team
Saber: Daniel Bak, Ramapo (2006)
The two-time district 4 champion took silver at the 2006 State individual tournament and fifth in 2005. The 2005 and 2006 North Jersey Fencer of the Year was the NCAA silver medalist this spring as a senior for Penn State.
All-North Jersey, The Record
Fencer of the Year, Daniel Bak: Driven to Succeed
Swordsman keeping his dream alive
For many fencers, a silver medal in the State individual fencing competition would be a tremendous achievement.
For Ramapo’s Daniel Bak, it’s motivation to train harder.
The senior Green Raider won 96 percent of his bouts and led the saber squad to first-place finishes in the District 4 and State competitions to earn The Record’s North Jersey Boys Fencer of the Year honor. Buy for the driven young man, anything but the best is unacceptable.
“Every loss pushes me to work harder,” said Bak. “If I lose one bout, I’m going to go into the weight room and work my legs. I knew that I had to start getting ready for the summer competitions, but that was a reality check for me.”
Now that he’s taken the strip for Ramapo for the last time, Bak can concentrate on getting ready for the upcoming events.
“I’m doing everything I can to get ready for the Division 1 tournament in Sacramento in April,” he said. “And then I’ll be competing at the Summer Nationals in Atlanta.”
To prepare, he’s been putting in extended hours at the Peter Westbrook Foundation in Manhattan, a training club for elite fencers from around the world.
“I usually train from 5 to 10, but I’ve been going longer now because the Olympians have been coming in,” he said. “I’ve been getting a chance to fence guys like Ivan Lee and Keeth Smart.”
Not only has Smart, ranked first in the world at one point in his career, been a sparring partner for Bak, he’s also a source of inspiration.
“He always tells me the story of when he was a junior and wasn’t the best,” Bak said. “And he told himself that in five years he would be, and he was able to prove that to himself. I hope I can do the same thing.”
The Ramapo saber squad, already a strong point for the Green Raiders, got a boost this season with the addition of Daniel’s younger brother, Adrian, who won 91 percent of his bouts as a freshman and was a strong contributor on the B strip.
“It was good for me to have someone that I could depend on, because last year, it was on me to win everything,” Daniel said. “And it was good for Adrian because he was able to get some of the goals that he had prepared for, like winning the district and State squads, and learning how to deal with high school fencing, because the first year is always hard to get used to when you’re used to club competitions.
Daniel said the team will be in good hands when he graduates this summer. “I think [Adrian] is going to be a great A-strip fencer, and one of the top two in the State in saber.”
Bak is still waiting to hear back from colleges, but his top choices are Columbia and New York University, so that he can continue to train in Manhattan.
“I want to stay near the city and just keep training, because I want the chance to make the Olympics in 2012,” he said.
Bak’s coach Paul Apostol, said the senior has the motivation and drive to succeed in fencing, as he proves by putting in marathon training sessions at the New York City club.
“He’s there when I get in at 5, and he’s still going when I leave at 8:30,” said Apostol. “He works very hard and he’s always disappointed if he doesn’t win a competition, because that’s his goal.”
By Matt Weiland
All-North Jersey, The Record
Fencer of the Year, Daniel Bak: Pursuing Perfection
Raiders’ ace taking aim at the top
The wins kept piling up, yet Ramapo’s Daniel Bak says at no point was his unbeaten dual-meet record on his mind.
“It wasn’t something I thought about,” said Bak, who finished the regular season with a 23-0 mark. “I was more focused on the team.”
Bak is The Record’s North Jersey Boys Fencer of the Year thanks to his perfect regular-season record, a gold medal finish in District 4 and a fifth place finish in saber at the State individual tournament.
And while most people would be satisfied with such an impressive one year resume, Bak says there is plenty left undone. Like any athlete who wants to reach the pinnacle of his sport, Bak strives for perfection.
“There’s definitely room for improvement,” said Bak, who hopes to attend Columbia University after high school. “I think I need to get tougher mentally. That’s the main thing in fencing: You have to have a tough mental presence.”
Bak was hoping to make a lot of noise when headed to the State tournament, but that didn’t exactly pan out.
“I really thought I would do better in the State tournament,” said Bak, who is in his first year at Ramapo after transferring from Bergen Catholic. “I really wasn’t used to the way they run things.
“In a five-touch bout you get two bad calls and you screw up, and all of a sudden you’ve lost. I’m more used to a 15-touch bout, and if it was that format I think I would have done a little better. But that’s the way it is run, so I really can’t complain and it’s all a learning experience, so I’m fine with it.”
“Next year I’ll be better prepared and I’ll definitely at least medal.”
Bak was the top dog on a dominant saber squad that included senior J.T. Rivela and junior John Rothman and lost only six bouts. Have a guy like Bak to jump-start the team at every meet is something that proved to be invaluable for Ramapo. It helped the Green Raiders to a 17-1 record and a trip to the State team final.
“It’s a very good thing when the very first fencer for your team is a huge favorite to win that first bout,” coach Paul Apostol said. “It gets the team off to a very good start.”
The junior will continue with his fencing at the Peter Westbrook Foundation in New York City through July. In August he will head off to camps before the start of the school year.
His outside training is what Apostol attributes to his success.
“Dan has probably been fencing longer than most students,” said Apostol, who also trained at the Westbrook Foundation and made two appearances in the Olympics.
“He trains very hard and it’s a considerable strain on him. For him to go into the city all of the time is really a tremendous effort on his part. It allows him to have technique that is mostly superior to other fencers.”
By Joe Duffy
All-North Jersey, The Record
Senior Bak upholds Penn State tradition
Senior Daniel Bak of Franklin Lakes has helped Penn State continue as the gold bar standard of men’s fencing.
With Bak finishing second in saber, Penn State earned its second consecutive NCAA championship, its fifth in a decade and 12th overall.
The former Ramapo standout finished third at the NCAA championships in his sophomore and junior seasons to earn second-team All-America honors.
This season he beat reigning champion Aleksander Ochocki, his Penn State sophomore teammate from Clark, 15-12, in the semifinals before losing to Daryl Homer of St. John’s, 15-10, in the final.
Bak has a 26-8 record, improving his career mark to 98-17.
By John Rowe
All-North Jersey, The Herald News
Bak upholds PSU tradition
Senior Daniel Bak of Franklin Lakes has helped Penn State continue as the gold bar standard of men’s fencing.
With Bak finishing second in saber, Penn State earned its second consecutive NCAA championship, its fifth in a decade and 12th overall.
The former Ramapo standout finished third at the NCAA championships in his sophomore and junior seasons to earn second-team All-America honors.
This season he beat reigning champion Aleksander Ochocki, his Penn State sophomore teammate from Clark, 15-12, in the semifinals before losing to Daryl Homer of St. John’s, 15-10, in the final.
Bak has a 26-8 record, improving his career mark to 98-17.
By John Rowe
All-North Jersey, The Record
Ramapo’s Bak sets his sights on title
Hopes to deny defending champ a third saber crown
Some high school athletes are inspired by Lebron James. Others might be inspired by Derek Jeter.
Ramapo fencer Daniel Bak was inspired by actor Antonio Banderas. Antonio Banderas? Well, more specifically, Banderas as Zorro in the 1998 movie “Mask of Zorro”.
“I remember watching that movie and thinking that sword fighting was really cool,” Bak explains. “I begged my dad to get some fencing stuff and get me involved, and he did.”
Bak has excelled in fencing since he picked it up at age 12 and this year has compiled a laundry list of achievements. Bak has a 23-0 record in dual meets and last month won the district 4 individual saber championship. He has been the centerpiece of a Ramapo team that boasts of a 16-0 record. Ramapo has advanced to the State semifinals and will take on Bernards at 5 p.m. Thursday at home. If the top-seeded Green Raiders can get past Bernards, they will face the winner of Vorhees-Millburn a week from today.
In addition to spearheading the high school fencing team, Bak has excelled on the national scene. He just finished 15th in the nation in the 16-and-under Junior Olympics in Texas.
“Dan is very hardworking and he fences with a unique style,” Ramapo coach Paul Apostol said. “He’s quiet, well-liked, studious, but still outgoing. He’s quite popular among his team-mates and he excels in school.”
While Bak may not be the most vocal fencer on his squad, he’s definitely a leader by example.
“He works with other members of the team and is really helpful during bouts by giving advice,” Apostol said. “He’s also worked to help kids learn the unique style he’s learned by virtue of the level of competition he’s at.”
That unique style has earned its own nickname. The other Ramapo fencers have dubbed it “The Bak”.
“It’s an incredible touch,” Apostol said. “You have to see it to really appreciate it.”
The coach still tried to convey just what the move entails.
He said, “On what appears to be a simultaneous attack, Dan will suddenly stop mid-attack and his opponents' hand and jump out of distance before his opponent knows what’s going on. All of a sudden the light goes on. It’s a very demoralizing touch to the opponent because they can’t figure out why the light went on.”
Bak picked up the move while fencing at the Peter Westbrook Foundation in New York City. It is the home of one of the top fencing clubs in the country, and Bak has been practicing there four days a week for the past year.
“That’s really just a touch I learned from a guy at the club,” Bak said. “Coach even asked me to teach a couple of kids how to do it. So far just one of them has done it during a match. My teammate Matt LaSalle actually did it in a match the other day.”
The Westbrook Foundation sent two of its fencers to the 2004 Olympics, and Bak hopes to one day join its ranks.
“It will be tough to make it since there is just so much competition,” said Bak. “But I think I have a shot. Maybe in 2012.”
In the short term, Bak is setting his sights on winning the State individual saber championship Saturday at Bernards High School. Competition starts at 10:30 a.m. It will be a tall task, however, as he’ll have to overcome two-time defending State saber champion Douglas Tracey of Moorestown Friends High School.
Bak said, “My goal is to defeat Tracey and stop him from getting that record [third straight title].”
By Joe Duffy
TEAM OF THE YEAR: 2006: RAMAPO
All-North Jersey, The Record
Team of the Year: Ramapo
Depth sets Green Raiders apart
There was no stopping Ramapo for the second season in a row.
The Green Raiders went undefeated for the second straight regular season and swept through the District 4 boys fencing tournament, winning gold in all three weapon competitions.
The Raiders also qualified four fencers for the State individual tournament en route to being named The Record’s North Jersey Boys Fencing Team of the Year for the second straight season.
“At the districts, it was gratifying that we managed to sweep all the weapons,” said coach Paul Apostol. “Last year we almost did, but we took a silver in one of the weapons, so it was good to win them all this year.”
The saber squad, featuring seniors Daniel Bak and John Rothman, and freshman Adrian Bak, was the strongest part of the Ramapo team, taking gold in the State weapons competition in February, after finishing first in the statewide Cetrullo tournament in January.
“I think they were definitely our strongest feature,” said Apostol. “They really proved themselves.”
Ramapo also was well represented at the State individual tournament last week, as Daniel and Adrian Bak competed in saber and Matt Ahn and Dennis Kim took the foil strip.
Daniel won silver, Adrian finished in eighth place, Ahn took ninth and Kim placed 16th.
The Raiders entered the State team tournament as the third seed, and were shocked in the first round by Moorestown-Friends. Apostol acknowledges that the loss was disappointing, but also used it as a learning experience.
“It taught them to realize that every single bout is important,” he said. “At that meet, some people lost key bouts that they shouldn’t have lost, and that obviously can’t happen.”
The Green Raiders are graduating five seniors, but Apostol always manages to get varsity experience for his younger fencers, so there is never a need for a rebuilding phase.
“Virtually every meet, at the end of the first round, we take out our starters and put in our second team,” he said. “We have six backups in foil and epee who all made varsity, and who all have winning records, that will step up next season.”
Returning will be Adrian Bak, who won 91 percent of his bouts this season, first-team all-leaguer John Plunkett and Ahn, who is expected to learn from his experience at the State tournament.
“He was voted the captain of the foil squad, and I’m hopeful that we can get him to the point where he takes advantage of his experience this season,” said Apostol. “He fenced a lot of people in the finals there, and we’re hoping that he moves into the next level.”
By Matt Weiland
TEAM OF THE YEAR: 2005: RAMAPO
All-North Jersey, The Record
Team of the Year: Ramapo
‘A sense of ownership unites all’
If you were at one of Ramapo’s boys fencing matches this year, the overwhelming team spirit was hard to miss. While opponents went through the obligatory rah-rah motions, the Green Raiders were filled with exuberance for the full hour and a half.
Maybe that’s why the Green Raiders completed a 17-1 season and raced through the local and State competition en route to a second-place finish in the State tournament, earning The Record’s North Jersey Boys Fencing Team of the Year honor. The Green Raiders also took home the District 4 championship.
“There was an enormous amount of team spirit and there’s a sense of ownership here,” said Ramapo head coach Paul Apostol, who also was named the State Coach of the Year by the NJIFA. “One of the great things about this team is that any time one of our squads had a bad day, there was another squad there to pick it up. In golf they call it ‘ham-and-egging it.’ That’s what this team did all year.”
Ramapo’s greatest strength proved to be its depth. It was hard to find a chink in the Green Raider armor.
“We had a lot of balance” Apostol said. “If you think about it, none of our kids did that well in the individual tournament. We didn’t have a bunch of stars or one or two or three stars. We had a really well-balanced team and it showed all year.”
The main cog in the Ramapo machine was clearly the saber team. Junior Daniel Bak, senior J.T. Rivela and junior John Rothman each won more than 90 percent of their bouts, losing only six bouts all season. Junior Eric Oliver captained the foil team and senior captain Brendan Rosen led the epee team.
“They’re a bunch of very hardworking, dedicated and enthusiastic kids who love fencing.” Apostol said. “Every one of the kids on this team loves fencing. We have no problem getting them to attend practice. These kids just love it. There’s nothing better than coaching a bunch of kids who really love the sport.”
By Joe Duffy
All-North Jersey, The Record
OAKLAND - The Ramapo boys and Holy Angels girls fencing teams dominated the District 4 championships today.
It was the second straight district championship for the Green Raiders, whose three squads combined for 60 wins as they swept the weapon competitions.
Ramapo will send four fencers, including two-time district saber champion Daniel Bak to the State individual tournament next month at Rider University. He will be joined by his younger brother, Adrian, who also fences saber, and teammates Matt Ahn and Dennis Kim in foil.
“My brother was my hardest opponent because he knew me the best,” said Bak of the round-robin fence-off. “I had to be prepared for him and go all out from the beginning.”
Holy Angels got a first-place finish from its epee squad, led by individual champion Martyna Urbonowicz, and took third place in foil and saber as the team won 58 bouts, and the first district championship in its five-year history.
Dana Baines won all five of her bouts on the way to an individual foil championship for the Angels.
The Pompton Lakes girls’ foil squad, led by third-place individual Katie Stanton, won their weapon. Another Cardinal, Nikki Bookstaver, finished second in epee.
Second-year team Northern Highlands will be well represented at the State tournament by district champions Phillip Arredondo in foil and Caroline Vloka in saber, along with their teammate Sammy Roberts (saber), who finished in third place.
Also making the cut for the March 4 event were West Milford’s Bryan Domanski, who won the epee, and Peter Blehl, who finished fourth.
Other qualifiers included Teaneck’s Omari Evans (foil), Travis Mingalone (epee) and William Fink (saber) of Indian Hills, Don Bosco’s Ryan Young in saber and Ryan Schumacher of Pompton Lakes in epee.
By Matt Weiland
All-North Jersey, The Record
Boys, girls capture titles
FAIR LAWN - The Ramapo boys and girls fencing teams each dominated two of the three weapons at the District 4 tournament Saturday. The Ramapo girls took first place in epee and foil, and the boys took first place in saber and foil, as the Green Raiders won both team championships.
Daniel Bak gave Ramapo its lone individual championship, taking the boys saber title. Ramapo’s boys team finished with 52 victories, enabling the Raiders to easily out-distance second-place Don Bosco, which finished with 42 wins.
“I think it’s the strongest team we’ve had in the three years I’ve been here,” said Ramapo boys fencing coach Paul Apostel. “With respect to saber, Dan is head and shoulders above the field out there, as demonstrated by the fact that he was undefeated in 12 bouts.”
Ramapo’s saber captain, senior J.T. Rivela, went undefeated in the team event before losing two bouts in the individual competition, one to Bak and one to Alexander Vloka of Northern Highlands, who finished second in the individuals.
“That’s a tough break, but still that was an outstanding job,” Apostel said.
Ramapo won the team championship in foil, but Phillip Arredondo of Northern Highlands, who entered the district tournament with a 20-2 record in dual meets, went 6-1 in the initial squad bouts and then won all five bouts in pool finals to win the boys individual championship in foil.
“Honestly, I wasn’t that surprised,” Arredondo said. “Last year, the only reason I didn’t win was that I didn’t have a school team. The only guys I lost to last year were seniors and finished first and second in the State.
“I feel kind of indifferent about it. Once I go to the State meet, then if I win, it’ll be exciting.”
In epee, West Milford captured the team championship, sparked by Bryan Domanski, who won the individual title in epee.
The Ramapo girls edged Pompton Lakes, 50-47. Pompton won the team title in foil, with senior Clare Ciervo finishing third. Nina Gernes of Fair Lawn, who finished No.2 in the State last year, won the girls individual foil championship.
By Joe Duffy
All-North Jersey, The Record
OAKLAND - The Ramapo boys and Holy Angels girls fencing teams dominated the District 4 championships today.
It was the second straight district championship for the Green Raiders, whose three squads combined for 60 wins as they swept the weapon competitions.
Ramapo will send four fencers, including two-time district saber champion Daniel Bak to the State individual tournament next month at Rider University. He will be joined by his younger brother, Adrian, who also fences saber, and teammates Matt Ahn and Dennis Kim in foil.
“My brother was my hardest opponent because he knew me the best,” said Bak of the round-robin fence-off. “I had to be prepared for him and go all out from the beginning.”
Holy Angels got a first-place finish from its epee squad, led by individual champion Martyna Urbonowicz, and took third place in foil and saber as the team won 58 bouts, and the first district championship in its five-year history.
Dana Baines won all five of her bouts on the way to an individual foil championship for the Angels.
The Pompton Lakes girls’ foil squad, led by third-place individual Katie Stanton, won their weapon. Another Cardinal, Nikki Bookstaver, finished second in epee.
Second-year team Northern Highlands will be well represented at the State tournament by district champions Phillip Arredondo in foil and Caroline Vloka in saber, along with their teammate Sammy Roberts (saber), who finished in third place.
Also making the cut for the March 4 event were West Milford’s Bryan Domanski, who won the epee, and Peter Blehl, who finished fourth.
Other qualifiers included Teaneck’s Omari Evans (foil), Travis Mingalone (epee) and William Fink (saber) of Indian Hills, Don Bosco’s Ryan Young in saber and Ryan Schumacher of Pompton Lakes in epee.
By Matt Weiland
All-North Jersey, The Record
Boys
Daniel Bak, saber, Ramapo: After placing fifth in the individual tournament last season, the senior won his second straight District 4 title last month. He also led the Ramapo saber team to a first-place finish in the State weapons tournament two weeks ago.
By Matt Weiland
Inspired by ESPN Breakroom Commercials.
Director and editor: Samuel Perkins. Blue PSU Jacket
Actor: Miles Chamley-Watson Black Nike Jacket. Role: "Kobe Bryant"
Actor: Sammy Melendez Blue Penn State jacket. Role: "Lebron James"
Producer, casting director, and screenwriter for the commercial: Daniel Bak