CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Cleveland State University fencing team will open the 2019-20 campaign this weekend as it heads to the OSU Duals.

The one-day event will take place Sunday, Sept. 29, inside Ohio State's French Field House with action beginning at 8:00 a.m.

There will be 14 total institutions represented at the event. In addition to CSU and the host Buckeyes, the remaining competing teams are: Bowling Green, Case Western Reserve, Denison, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Oberlin, Purdue and Xavier.

Reigning Midwest Conference Coach of the Year Andy Tulleners has added nine freshmen to a group of 16 returners to give the Vikings one of their deepest rosters in recent years. Junior Ahmad Taqi and sophomore John Wenger highlight the returnees as both earned All-Midwest Conference honors a year ago. Taqi also had the highest individual finish by a Viking at the NCAA Regional event for CSU last season.

Cleveland State showcased dramatic improvement in 2018-19 as the season progressed. The Vikings posted an eighth-place finish at the 2019 Midwest Conference Championships, a 12-place improvement from the season prior. CSU garnered 1,005 points at the event, more than triple its total from the previous season.

The Cleveland State men posted their best finish at that event in 15 years, finishing fifth with 635 points. The men's foil unit took second place at the conference championships, finishing only behind nationally ranked Ohio State, while the men's epee team also won three team bouts at the event.

Tulleners also guided last year's women's foil squad to three victories at the conference championships as the unit outplaced its seed. This was achieved despite the fact that the team was composed of three true freshmen.

Eleven Vikings competed at the 2019 NCAA Midwest Regional, the highest figure for the program in five years. Nine of those 11 student-athletes have returned as the Vikings commence the 2019-20 campaign.