March 31, 2004

Jamaica, N.Y. -- While the United States will wear the Red, White & Blue during the 2004 Summer Olympics, there will be a distinct Red & White feel to the USA Fencing Team.

It will be St. John's Red & White.

When the Olympics begin this summer in Athens, Greece, three former St. John's University fencers will be competing for the U.S. team. The three Red Storm fencers - Keeth Smart, Ivan Lee and Jon Tiomkin - make up one-third of the entire United States fencing team, as three fencers from each weapon (sabre, epee and foil) will compete. Smart and Lee, who fence the sabre, make up two-thirds of the U.S. team in that weapon alone.

It will be the second appearance for Smart, who represented the United States at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. That year, he won his first bout, against Igor Tsel of Kazakhstan, 15-5. His next bout, in the round of 32, was against then No. 2-ranked Damien Touya of France, a 15-8 loss that placed Smart 30th overall.

Since that time, Smart graduated from St. John's and, while working full-time for Verizon, devoted his free time to fencing on the international stage. At one point last summer, Smart was the No. 1 ranked fencer in the world. He is currently 10th in the world.

Since Smart started fencing, he's always been around Lee. They grew up near one another in Brooklyn, picked up the sport at the Fencer's Club in Manhattan and challenged each other at practice for four years at St. John's. Smart and Lee each won two NCAA Individual Championships in the sabre.

For Lee, who is ranked first in the United States and 25th in the world rankings, this will be his first-ever appearance in the World Cup. He recently finished 37th at a World Cup event in Bulgaria. "I don't have anything to lose," Lee said. "There are going to be a lot of experienced fencers there, and I'm hoping I can go in and upset someone. To know that I'm actually in the Olympics, that I'm going to be competing, that's going to exciting.

"It's the Olympic experience, it's what every little kid dreams about as a kid."

Tiomkin, an All-American with the Red Storm, will be competing in the foil. Since graduating from the University in 2002, Tiomkin has focused more of his time on the sport. As a result, he is ranked second in the United States and 48th in the world.

"Jon's made a big sacrifice," St. John's Head Coach Yury Gelman said. "He really wants to be one of the best in the world."

Lee said the fact that three former St. John's fencers are on the Olympic team is more of a testament to the University and to their coach. Gelman continues to coach Smart and Lee for the USA's sabre team.

"That says a lot about St. John's and Yury Gelman," Lee said. "He knows the types of fencers to bring into a program and those types that can help win championships. I've fenced with Keeth and Jon for a long time, and I knew sooner or later that we could do something like this at one time or another."

Gelman himself is impressed with all three of his pupils.

"I'm really proud of our University, that we were able to bring them into our school, to keep them here and to keep them healthy and help them become the people and the athletes they are today," Gelman said. "The University gave them the spirit to continue the sport.

"The majority of fencers quit after college, very few stay. For these three - like many of our other fencers - to continue to stay involved means a lot to me. It's an amazing accomplishment, and I'm really proud of them."

For the most up-to-date information and statistics on St. John's Athletics, please visit www.RedStormSports.com, or call our hotline at 1-888-G0-STORM.