St. John's University Athletics
St. John's Fencers Homer And Wozniak Meet President Obama
9/15/2012 12:00:00 AM | Fencing
Sept. 15, 2012
QUEENS, N.Y. - President Barack Obama gathered all of Team USA at the White House on Friday to honor U.S. Olympians for their accomplishments in the 2012 Olympic Games in London. More than 400 Olympians and Paralympians gathered at the South Lawn to meet the President, his wife Michelle Obama, and Vice President Joe Biden - including St. John's fencing senior Daryl Homer and alum Dagmara Wozniak.
"I'm unbelievably grateful to have met President Obama," Homer said. "This is a memory I will always cherish."
The 22-year-old Homer placed sixth in men's saber in his Olympic debut, which was the best U.S. placement in the event. The sixth place finish matched alum Keeth Smart's career-best Olympic finish and marked the highest by an American saber fencer since Peter Westbrook earned a bronze medal at the 1984 Games.
Wozniak, who also participated in her inaugural Olympics, placed eighth in women's saber. Seeded tenth in the event, she upended the No. 7 seed in the round of 16 to reach the quarterfinals, which aired nationally on MSNBC.
"It was an amazing day," Wozniak said. "Meeting the President and being able to take a tour of the White House is something I'll never forget."
After taking a year off from NCAA participation to prepare for the Olympics, Homer now re-joins Red Storm fencing for his senior season. Wozniak, who completed her final year of athletic eligibility in 2011, has resumed classes at St. John's and expects to graduate in the spring. Both Homer and Wozniak have stated that they fully anticipate competing in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
Players Mentioned
