From Dateline (August 19, 2004)

Titans Compete At 2004 Olympics

Four current and former Cal State Fullerton athletes are competing in the summer games in Athens, Greece.

Former Titan catcher Jenny Topping is playing with the U.S. Softball team while former CSUF pole vaulter Giovanni Lanaro represents Mexico.

Also representing Mexico is current Titan soccer player Marlene Sandoval. Softball center fielder Lindsey Bashor is competing with the Greek national team.

A schedule for the Olympic competitions in softball, women’s soccer and the pole vault can be found on the athletics Web site at http://sports.fullerton.edu/04olympians.html.

Meanwhile, three-time Olympian and Titan fencing coach Heizaburo Okawa was inducted into the U.S. Fencing Hall of Fame during the organization’s national championships in July. Okawa celebrated his induction by winning the men’s veterans (60 and older) competition, while Titan sophomore Rachel Liebing placed third in Division I-A and seventh in the under-19 saber competition.

Okawa, who has been the Titan head fencing coach for 24 seasons, was a two-time United States national champion and a six-time national champion in his native Japan. He represented Japan in fencing at the 1960, 1964 and 1968 Olympics and was a referee in the 1988 Olympics. In addition, Okawa directed the Japanese national team at the 1969 World Championships in Cuba.