Fencing team to dedicate new training facility

SOUTH BEND, Ind.-- The fencing team at Notre Dame is a sports team you rarely hear about, yet it’s one of the most decorated in the university. Saturday the fencing team will dedicate a new multi-million dollar practice facility.

• 11 Olympians
• 27 Individual National Champions
• 279 All Americans..
• 8 Team National Championships

The only thing the notre dame fencers didn't have was a space of their own.

"Freshman year we were in the boiler room, last year we shared a locker room,” said Lian Osier, Captain of Irish fencing team.

"The old gym was very small, at the time when it was built, it was pretty good,” said Janusz Bednarski, Irish head coach.

But over time the rules of fencing have changed…

The strips are too short, they aren't regulation size. For one of the top teams at Notre Dame, they're plain inadequate.

"We are obliged to give them a place and the support to practice on a very high level,” said Bednarski.

Starting Saturday, fencers will have their own practice gym.

Fencers not only have new locker rooms but an entire team area and 20 new strips to fence on.

For the team the new facility is a motivator to add another national championship.