At A Glance
- Samantha Catantan qualified to the US NCAA Fencing Championships slated on March 21 to 24 in Columbus, Ohio after finishing second overall in the Mid-Atlantic/South Regionals over the weekend.
Samantha Catantan qualified to the US NCAA Fencing Championships slated on March 21 to 24 in Columbus, Ohio after finishing second overall in the Mid-Atlantic/South Regionals over the weekend.

The 22-year-old Cantantan, who plays for Penn State University, finished second overall in the said regionals where only the Top 7 fencers earn berths to the championships.
She actually finished with identical 7-4 win-loss records in the third round with University of Pennsylvania’s Katina Ortiz Proestakis and Sabrina Cho, but the top Filipino fencer had a better index.
Charlotte Koenig of Duke University led the qualifiers with an 8-3 mark.
This would be the fourth time that Catantan would be competing in the US’ biggest collegiate stage.
“I'm just so blessed and grateful to have the best support system. Especially to everyone, who helped me get through this tough year – but for now, all I could say… I'm very happy to be back,” said Catantan.
It can be recalled that Catantan tore her Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) in the Southeast Asian Games in May last year, forcing her to undergo a surgery a month later.
A total of 46 fencers competed in the regionals where Catantan earned an opening round bye. She won three of five bouts in the second and third rounds, enough to secure her a spot in the 12-player championships.
Meanwhile, Catantan also seeks a berth to the 2024 Paris Olympics when she competes in the Asian Qualification Tournament next month in Dubai.