Viviani avenges loss, defeats Roytblat to place third
By MIKE CONNOLLY
Sports Writer
KENOSHA, Wisc.
Jan Viviani will never forget his semifinal bout against St. John's Alex Roytblat at the 2000 NCAA Fencing Championships.
The then-Irish freshman and the St. John's junior battled to an 8-8 tie in regulation before Roytblat won on a controversial touch in overtime. Viviani insists Roytblat touched the floor instead of Viviani and that the touch shouldn't have counted. Nevertheless, Roytblat was awarded the touch and eliminated Viviani.
"Every time I fence him, I think of that bout," Viviani said.
When Viviani faced Roytblat again this weekend in the third place bout, he made sure Roytblat wouldn't win on another controversial touch.
The Irish sophomore thoroughly dominated the senior 15-9 to finish third for the second consecutive year and earn first team All-American honors.
"In the 15 touch bout, for the beginning, it wasn't close," Viviani said. "So it was easy to win. There was no stress there."
Viviani also defeated Roytblat 5-4 in the round robin portion of the competition.
Viviani's 18 wins in the round robin placed him fourth overall and qualified him for the fence off for the individual title. He lost to Penn State's Adam Wiercioch in the semifinals 15-8 before defeating Roytblat in the third place bout.
Viviani's top four finish earned him first team All-American honors for the second straight year. Viviani became the first Notre Dame back-to-back first team men's All-American since 1991 when four fencers earned back-to-back honors.
"I was really happy to be able to do it two years in a row," Viviani said. "I think that was a big accomplishment — especially in epee."
With his accomplishments, however, come even higher expectations. Head coach Yves Auriol expects Viviani to place even higher at future Championships.
"I expect Jan to win the NCAAs in the next two years," Auriol said. "He has been so good in Europe and in the World Cup Tournaments. He has the tools and I think he can win a title for us."
This summer Viviani will travel to Poland for the Junior World Championships to represent the United States. For years he has traveled around the world wearing the stars and stripes but he says the blue and gold adds much more pressure to his bouts.
"[The NCAAs] are a lot more pressure," Viviani said. "This is the only tournament I get really nervous for."
All Sports Stories for Monday, March 26, 2001
