UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Former Penn State fencing All-American Monica Aksamit helped the United States women’s saber team earn a bronze medal in the Rio Olympic Games on Saturday, Aug. 13. The Matawan, New Jersey, native competed for the United States in the team’s 45-30 bronze medal match win over Italy.
Aksamit’s bronze is the 31st Olympic medal won by a Penn State student-athlete all-time, and she becomes the first member of Penn State’s women’s fencing team to win an Olympic medal for the United States. Aksamit joins Miles Chamley-Watson as Nittany Lion fencing alumni to win Olympic medals in Rio, doubling Penn State’s previous total.
Aksamit’s move from alternate to competitor in today’s match gives Penn State Athletics 12 active Olympians on Team USA, tops in the Big Ten and No. 6 among all colleges and universities. Penn State’s total contingent in Rio is a school record 25.