ORLANDO, FLA. —  The October North American Cup, the first Olympic qualifying event of the season took place on Friday. The Men's Epee competition featured 359 competitors from all across the United States, and several international fencers as well.

Mo Elsayed, who won LIU's Male Athlete of the Year last season, started this season off with a gold medal, defeating Oleg Knysh 15-9 in the final bout.

"I'm so very happy to win my very first American competition," Elsayed said. "It is the result of lots of hard work and I want to thank my coaches, teammates and family for their support along the way."

"We are all very proud of Mo," Head Coach Ivan Lee said. "His work ethic is unparalleled, his desire to be the best is unmatched and his competitive spirit is unending."

The Men's Fencing team will begin the NCAA regular season on Sunday, November 5 at Drew University.