St. John's University Athletics
St. John’s Fencing Secures Two Top-10 Finishes at FIE Senior World Cup
11/10/2025 2:49:00 PM | Fencing
Junior saber Adham Moataz and Sophomore saber Vlad Covaliu represented the Red Storm in Algiers, Algeria
QUEENS, N.Y. — St. John's fencers Adham Moataz and Vlad Covaliu delivered standout performances on the international stage this weekend in Algiers, Algeria, as both student athletes recorded top 10 finishes at the FIE Senior World Cup.
Moataz turned in a breakout performance in Algiers, securing a 10th-place finish out of 203 fencers. The 14th-seeded junior saber opened with a 15-9 victory over No. 51 Eric Simon Seefeld of Germany in the round of 64 and followed with a dominant 15-7 win against No. 19 Dimitriy Danilenko of Russia in the round of 32.
The Cairo, Egypt, native advanced to the round of 16, where he fell to eventual champion and No. 11 seed Do Gyeongdong of Korea, securing his first career senior World Cup top-10 result. His run marked the deepest individual finish of his international career.
Covaliu continued his impressive trajectory with a seventh-place saber finish in Algiers, just one win short of a podium appearance. He advanced to the semifinals beginning with a 15-9 victory over national teammate No. 36 Radu Nitu of Romania before downing top five seed Luca Curatoli of Italy, 15-13.
The Romanian then defeated No. 20 Pavel Graudyn of the Authorized Individual Neutral Athletes (AIN) 15-12 on his way to a matchup with No. 5 Oh Sanguk of Korea. Covaliu was stopped in the semifinal, 15-7, but went on to help deliver a team silver medal to Romania the following day.
St. John's was also represented on the podium by alumnus Fares Ferjani, who secured a silver medal in the individual event. Ferjani enjoyed a highly decorated career for the Red Storm, earning four All-America honors and compiling more than 150 career victories during his time in Queens.
Professionally, Ferjani has evolved into one of Africa's most accomplished sabers, representing Tunisia at three Olympic Games while earning a silver medal in men's saber at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Head Coach Yury Gelman is set to release the 2025-26 fencing schedule in the coming days.
Moataz turned in a breakout performance in Algiers, securing a 10th-place finish out of 203 fencers. The 14th-seeded junior saber opened with a 15-9 victory over No. 51 Eric Simon Seefeld of Germany in the round of 64 and followed with a dominant 15-7 win against No. 19 Dimitriy Danilenko of Russia in the round of 32.
The Cairo, Egypt, native advanced to the round of 16, where he fell to eventual champion and No. 11 seed Do Gyeongdong of Korea, securing his first career senior World Cup top-10 result. His run marked the deepest individual finish of his international career.
Covaliu continued his impressive trajectory with a seventh-place saber finish in Algiers, just one win short of a podium appearance. He advanced to the semifinals beginning with a 15-9 victory over national teammate No. 36 Radu Nitu of Romania before downing top five seed Luca Curatoli of Italy, 15-13.
The Romanian then defeated No. 20 Pavel Graudyn of the Authorized Individual Neutral Athletes (AIN) 15-12 on his way to a matchup with No. 5 Oh Sanguk of Korea. Covaliu was stopped in the semifinal, 15-7, but went on to help deliver a team silver medal to Romania the following day.
St. John's was also represented on the podium by alumnus Fares Ferjani, who secured a silver medal in the individual event. Ferjani enjoyed a highly decorated career for the Red Storm, earning four All-America honors and compiling more than 150 career victories during his time in Queens.
Professionally, Ferjani has evolved into one of Africa's most accomplished sabers, representing Tunisia at three Olympic Games while earning a silver medal in men's saber at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Head Coach Yury Gelman is set to release the 2025-26 fencing schedule in the coming days.
Players Mentioned
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St. John's University Fencing Invitational Highlights
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