38th year at Penn State (Academy of Physical Education, Warsaw, Poland)
Now entering his 38th season with the Nittany, Head Coach Wieslaw (Wes) R. Glon, joined the Penn State fencing program as assistant coach in 1985. Since being on staff, Glon has been an integral part of Penn State’s fencing achievements which include thirteen combined Men’s and Women’s NCAA Championships and nine second place finishes.
Glon took the reins as Interim Head Coach in August 2013 and quickly set about the task of leading Penn State to its 13th NCAA Championship, an NCAA record. Glon led the Lion men’s team to a 22-3 overall record while the women compiled a 16-10 mark. He then led Penn State to the NCAA title as eight Nittany Lion fencers earned All-America honors, including sophomore Kaito Streets, who won the NCAA men’s saber individual title. Glon was named 2014 Coach of the Year at Penn State and 2014 Coach of the Year by the United States Fencing Coaches Association (USFCA) for his efforts. He was permanently appointed to the Head Coach position in July 2014.
At the time, Glon said: “It is an honor to be named the head coach of the most successful fencing program in the country,” Glon said. “I will strive to continue the tradition of success and integrity that the Penn State fencing program is known for nationally. I look forward to the challenges ahead and to the opportunity to continue Penn State’s legacy of success.”
In 2022, Penn State collected four All-Americans, three on the men's side and one on the women's side, and notched another top ten finish at the NCAA tournament.
In 2021, Glon led Penn State through an abbreviated season, shortened due to a pandemic at the time. The Nittany Lions hosted the NCAA Championships and took home the runner-up trophy in the Bryce Jordan Center. Ryan Griffiths claimed the NCAA individual title in the men's epee and Penn State had 10 combined All-Americans.
In 2020, Glon led Penn State through an exciting season that saw the team post 22-10 (women) and 19-12 (men) records in dual meets. The Nittany Lions had just qualified nine competitors for the 2020 NCAA Championships before the NCAA cancelled the final event in reaction to a virus.
In 2019, Glon led the men’s team to a 22-7 record while the women’s team finished with a 25-6 record. At the NCAA championships, the team finished in 2nd place. Seven Nittany Lion fencers garnered All-American Honors including Karol Metryka, who was the National Champion in men’s sabre, Zara Moss (2nd place, women’s saber), Karen Chang (5th place, women’s saber), Anton Piskovatskov (5th place, men’s epee), Sebastiano Bicego (5th place, men’s foil), Lodovica Bicego (7th place, women’s foil), and Anastasia Kalonji (7th place, women’s epee).
In 2018, the men’s team finished 18-8 for the season and the women’s team’s 18-7. At the NCAA championships which were hosted by Penn State, the team finished in 4th place. In addition, six fencers received All-American awards for their performances in the individual events. First Team Honorees were Zara Moss (Runner Up, women sabre), Andrew Mackiewicz (3rd place, men sabre) and Karen Chang (3rd place, women sabre). Second Team Honorees were Lodovica Bicego (5th, women foil), Karol Metryka (7th, men’s sabre) and Barbara VanBenthuysen (8th, women epee).
In 2017, Glon led the men’s and women’s teams to a 27-5 and 27-7 record respectively. At the NCAA championships, the team finished in 7th place. Individually, junior Andrew Mackiewicz earned All-America honors by placing 7th in sabre. Teammate Teodora Kakhiani ended her collegiate career with a national runner-up finish. Upon the completion of the season, Kakhiani decisively won the Sabre European Championships and sophomore Karol Metryka brought home an individual bronze medal from the Junior World Championships. In addition, freshman epeeist Barbara VanBenthuysen returned from the World University Games in Taipei, Taiwan with a team silver medal.
In 2016, the men’s team finished with at 22-6 record and the women’s team with an 18-10 record. At the NCAA championship, the team finished in 6th place, with sophomore Andrew Mackiewicz winning his second title in sabre and Jessie Radanovich her first in epee. Altogether, six Nittany Lion fencers earned All-America honors.
In 2015, Glon led the men’s team to a 17-5 record while the women ended their season with a 15-8 mark. At the NCAA championship, the team finished in second place, with seven Nittany Lion fencers earning All-America honors. True freshman Andrew Mackiewicz became the newest NCAA men’s saber individual champion.
A native of Poland, Glon was a very accomplished fencer on the Polish National Team, representing his country at many international competitions. He won Poland’s highest fencing honors in saber six times between 1975 and 1981 and was bronze medalist at the 1979 World University Games in Mexico City.
Glon earned both his undergraduate and graduate degrees in physical education from the Academy of Physical Education in Warsaw. In addition to fencing, his academic interests have included track and field, soccer, physical therapy and sports medicine. From 1977-81, Glon was assistant professor of physical education at the Academy of Physical Education in Warsaw. He left Poland in 1981, and for two years lived in Vienna, Austria where he assisted with coaching the Austrian National Team. He immigrated to the United States in 1983 and served two years as the assistant men’s coach at William & Mary College where he worked with the saber team. Since immigrating to the U.S., he has become very active in the fencing community. He is the founder of three fencing clubs in Richmond,Va and in the State College, Pa area. He is also the founder of the Central Pa Fencing Scholastic League with a number of elementary and middle school programs.
Coach Glon is one of the top fencing officials in the world in all three weapons. He is involved with the United States Fencing Association and has served for the last four years on its Board of Directors as Elite Coach Director. Glon is also on the Collegiate Mid-Atlantic / South Regional Fencing Committee, which is has chaired in the past. He has also served on the NCAA National Fencing Championships committee for two terms.
Fencing Master Glon has coached many U.S. national teams, including teams for the Junior and Senior World Championships (1989-1998), the Pan American Games (1991), and the 1992 and 1996 Olympic Games. In recent years, Wes Glon has been involved with the U.S. National Team in different capacities: as Coach, Team Captain and Chef de Mission. Over the years, many of his athletes have represented the U.S. on the international arena and have won top honors in their respective weapons. In 2013, he was named Team Captain for both the Men’s and Women’s National Teams and has lead them to be a dominating power house in the fencing world.
Glon is married and has two daughters, one of which, Nicole, was the Women’s captain on the 2014 Nittany Lions fencing team and helped lead Penn State to the NCAA crown.
