DETROIT (11/19/2019) --The University of Detroit Mercy men's fencing team opened the 2019-20 season Sunday at the annual Istvan Danosi Open, held at Wayne State University, with the Titans capturing a pair of podium finishes. Six Titans in all competed in the individual-only competition, with other squads from Wayne State, Michigan State and Toledo in attendance.

Titan senior Christopher Morrison and second-year fencer Jaydon Alojipan both earned third-place medals for the Titans, with both fencers reaching the semifinals in their respective weapons. Morrison was competing in epee for Detroit Mercy, while Alojipan fenced in sabre for the first time as a Titan. It was the first podium finishes for both Morrison and Alojipan.

Morrison went 4-1 in pool play (+10 indicator) to earn the No. 3 seed for the direct elimination bracket and following a bye, the senior won an 15-11 bout in the quarterfinals, before falling 15-8 to Michigan State's Jake Iwankovitsch. Alojipan went 4-4 in his first collegiate sabre action to earn the fifth seed heading into direct elimination. Following a bye, Alojipan defeated the No. 4 seed Dylan Boyle of Wayne State, 15-12, to reach the semifinals. Alojipan then fell in the semifinals, 15-7, to the eventual champion, Clement Perrier of Wayne State.

Graduate student James Baker placed sixth in sabre for the Titans, while Detroit Mercy new comer Jackson Stachelek earned ninth place in his first collegiate fencing action. Baker went 3-5 in pool play before falling in the quarterfinals of the direct elimination bracket, 15-11. Stachelek, seeded ninth, narrowly lost in his first DE, dropping a 15-13 bout against Brammer Brakel of Toledo.

Bryce Sturgis, seeded 10th in the direct elimination bracket, knocked off seventh-seeded Percy Whipkey of Toledo, 15-13, in the opening round of the epee bracket, before falling in the next round to finish eighth overall. Sophomore Peter Swanney earned a bout victory in pool play and dropped his first DE bout to place 10th for the Titans in epee.

The Titans are off competitively for the next several weeks, before hosting its annual Detroit Mercy Invitational from Calihan Hall on Sunday, Jan. 12. It's the first of three events that Titan fencing will host in 2020 as Detroit Mercy hosts the NCAA Midwest Regional Championship from Calihan Hall on March 7 and then the 2020 NCAA Fencing Championships from the TCF Center in downtown Detroit from March 19-22, 2020.