Carlo Songini
Carlo Songini '82 Fencing
When one thinks of All-Americans and NCAA Championships at CSU, sports such as basketball, wrestling, and swimming come to mind instantly. However, it is in the sport of fencing in which CSU has its only NCAA Division I Champion.
That championship came courtesy of Carlo Songini who captured the Epee in the 1978-79 NCAA Fencing Championships. He posted a 20-3 record at the NCAA Championship; Songini posted an overall record of 165-17.
Songini has the distinction of being CSU's only four-time All-American- a feat that can be claimed by very few student-athletes across this country. He earned two of his All-American awards competing in foil and two competing in the epee.
While Songini enjoyed individual success as the '78-79 Epee Champion, he also helped the CSU fencing team enjoy NCAA Tournament success. He led the Vikings 1979-80 fencing squad to the fourth place finish in the NCAA Championships, the highest-ever finish by a CSU team in an NCAA Division I Championship event.
During his four years, CSU fencing enjoyed tremendous success that has not been achieved at CSU before or since. The fencing team placed in the Top 20from 1977-81. The squad finished fifth during the 1977-78 season, 15th in 1978*79, fourth in 1979-80 and 19th in 1980-81.
A native of Cagliari, Italy, on the island of Sardinia, Songini graduated from Panincotti Italy High School. He came to the CSU campus for two reasons- to study engineering and pursue the sport of fencing. His fencing accomplishments are well documented. However, he completed the second part of his CSU equation. Songini earned his mechanical engineering degree from CSU in spring of 1982. The true mark of a "Champion."
