St. John's University Athletics
SJU Fencer Ivan Lee Wins Junior World Cup
11/29/2000 12:00:00 AM | Men's Fencing
He played baseball as a freshman in high school, but realized it was going to be tough. Then, someone suggested he try fencing. That led him to St. Johns. Originally, he wanted to study journalism and play baseball. Instead, the aspiring sports writer fenced.
Now, after four years of competition in the sport, Lee returned back to the United States on Monday after winning the sabre competition at the Junior World Fencing Cup in Italy on Sunday. Lee is the first United States fencer to ever win the sabre in a Junior World Fencing competition.
A first-team All-American last season, Lee posted a 27-3 regular season record, finished in second place at the Intercollegiate Fencing Association Championship and in third place at the NCAA Championships.
Lee posted six consecutive wins en route to winning the championship, which makes him the No. 1 ranked junior (20 years and younger) in the sabre in the world. In the first round, he beat an Italian competitor, 15-4, then posted a 15-8 win over Mathias Grimm of Germany to reach the round of 16. In the third round, Lee beat Michel Kalabarczyk of Poland, 15-8, and then beat an Italian competitor, 15-4 to reach the semifinals.
In the semifinals, Lee posted a 15-13 win over Giacomo Guidi of Italy. Then, in the championship match, Lee beat Tamas Deschi of Hungary, 15-10, to capture his first international title.
It hasnt hit me yet, Lee said. I think Im better off that way. Its a great feeling, but I had to keep focus and remember that I had to come back home and go to class on Tuesday."
Lee has been fencing for four years, three of them on the international stage. Since picking up his weapon, he has climbed the ranks in the United States, winning the 1998 Junior Olympics, the 1998 Junior National, the 1999 Penn State Open and the 2000 North American Cup. Adding an international title to that list was something he had not expected.
At first, I really wasnt thinking about winning, Lee said. I was just trying to avoid getting beat really bad. I figured if I could hold my own and go down with respect, Id be happy. Toward the end, though, I started getting really focused.
In the past, Id get anxious and lose focus. After the last touch, I just took off my mask and shook hands. It wasnt until I saw everyone running to me that I realized what I had accomplished.
Lee will lead the Red Storm fencing team this weekend to Boston, where they will compete against Bradeis, Boston University, Boston College and Brown. In the meantime, Lee will continue to train for the Junior World Championship, to be held from March 31 to April 7 in Gdansk, Poland.