Brad Cellier, 38, of Worthington was a member of a national championship team at Penn State — but not in football.

Dana Rosen, 15, of Pine Township dedicates most of her spare time to her sport of choice — and it's not basketball, volleyball, soccer or competitive cheerleading.

The sport is fencing — and these two will be among 20 competitors from Western Pennsylvania taking part in the US Fencing North American Cup Friday through Sunday at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh.

This is an elite-level event featuring more than 700 of the nation's best fencers. More than 1,000 world-class and veteran (over age 40) fencers will be competing.

Foreign competitors from Canada, Poland, Russia, Bulgaria, Germany, Israel and Ukraine will be among the field.

"There are so many misnomers out there about fencing," Cellier said. "Most people don't understand it.

"When I was 12, I was involved in team sports like baseball, football and basketball. They were starting a Junior Olympic fencing program in Murrysville and my mother insisted that I try it.

"I was dead against the idea because I didn't understand fencing. I thought it was more like the ballet, graceful and artistic. It is that, but it's also fast and powerful," Cellier added.

Fencing quickly became Cellier's sport of priority. He finished 11th at the fencing national championship and Olympic trials in 1990.

He competed and coached the sport at Penn State, which has won eight national fencing championships since 1990. There are currently 35 NCAA men's and 43 women's fencing teams.

Cellier is a coach and owner of the Three Rivers Fencing Center, located in Point Breeze.

"We also run clinics at Pine-Richland, Peters Township and Fox Chapel," Cellier said. "It's a fun sport because there's so many different ways you can score.

"The techniques are endless. You can be a fencer for years and still be learning."

Rosen, a sophomore at Pine-Richland High School, is captain and president of the fencing club there. She is a member of the Three Rivers Fencing Center and is coached there by Iana Dakova, a member of the Bulgarian national team from 1984 through 1991.

Rosen comes from a fencing family. Her brother Zack was a member of the University of Illinois Fencing Club. Her sister, Hannah, is a member of the Brandeis College fencing team near Boston, Mass.

"I picked it up from my sister," Rosen said. "I'm hoping I can compete in college someday, too."

She's headed in that direction. Rosen won her age group's Division III title at the North American Cup held in Miami, Fla., in October.

Fencers are rated by skill level, A through E. Division III is for Class D and E competitors. Rosen beat out 78 other competitors in her Division III age group in Miami.

"Division A is like Olympic caliber," Rosen said. "Because I won Division III, I move up to Division I for this weekend's event.

"The difference will be incredible. This will be a learning experience for me."

Rosen practices in Pittsburgh three times a week and competes in tournaments on many weekends. She dominates local events, but also travels to out-of-town competitions.

When she does travel, her father, Brian Rosen, gets to watch her compete up close. He serves as the chief technician at fencing tournaments and will serve in that role this weekend.

"We're called armorers," Mr. Rosen said of his role. "We fix all the equipment that breaks and we test everything to make sure it works before the competition."

Touches in fencing are scored electronically with a device at the edge of each blade.

Mr. Rosen never got involved in fencing until his son did.

"I went to his tournaments and noticed someone working with the equipment," he said. "I asked what he was doing and he showed me. I decided to learn it.

"Instead of sitting and watching all the time, I can make myself useful."

Cellier said fencing is a sport that one can remain active in from age 12 to 70. Fencing is done with three weapons — epee, foil and saber.

Nadine Obermiller of Waynesburg is the epee champion in the women's over-60 epee division.

A foil is patterned after the sword used in olden-times dual to the death, an epee was used in duals of honor, a sabre was used during duals on horseback.

"To score, you want to hit your opponent without getting hit," Cellier said. "A sabre involves more thrusting … There is a lot to this game."

Pittsburgh North American Cup competition begins at 8:30 a.m. each day. There is no admission charge.