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Nguyen Making a Big Impact for North Haven as Two-Year Fencing Captain

Joline Nguyen did not know much about fencing when her friend urged her to give the sport a try during her freshman year at North Haven High School.

Three years later, Joline still can’t believe how far she’s come in the sport.

“I didn’t think that I would get to this level,” Joline says. “I knew I would progress throughout the season, but I didn’t think I’d get here this fast, especially going into freshman year not knowing anything about fencing.”

With sincere dedication and perseverance, Joline has become an invaluable part of the North Haven fencing team.

“She’s the heart and soul of not only the girls’ team, but the entire program,” North Haven Head Coach Jim Harris says. “The way she has transformed herself over the last few years, she’s clearly one of the top foilers in the state.”

The foil is the most common of three weapons used for fencing, with a light, flexible blade designed to bend upon impact. Points are scored electronically using the tip of the blade, with the torso being the designated target area.

Joline was All-Conference as a junior, with 24 wins in 34 matches, and has positioned herself for even bigger things as her high school career winds down. Next month, Joline, who also trains with USA Fencing, will compete at the Junior Olympics in Denver.

“It was definitely super shocking,” Joline says of qualifying for the Junior Olympics. “It’s a big deal to me.”

In the meantime, Joline’s focus is on her high school squad, which had its first match on Jan. 5 against the Fairfield Co-op. The team also had an invitational on Jan. 7 at Morgan.

As a captain for the second straight year, Joline is in a position where she not only has to compete, but also inspire. More precisely, she says her goal is to “provide a welcoming and comfortable space for the team but also set myself as a role model for all the different athletes.”

That means staying even-keeled, no matter the outcome. There is a motto she uses — “Get ‘em one touch at a time” — to remember to stay in the moment.

“If I don’t get a touch or something,” Joline says, “I don’t lash out or get frustrated. I keep myself composed.”

That’s essential, Harris explains, as fencing is as much a strategic sport as it is physical.

“It requires a certain amount of intelligence to not only understand what you’re doing, but why you’re doing it,” Harris says. “You have to have a combination of athletic strength and mental strength. You have to be thinking moves ahead of your opponent. It’s not only just a physical game where whoever is the strongest or fastest will win. It really is a chess match with your opponent.”

To help round her skills, Joline practices individually with North Haven assistant Stuart Holmes at Silver City Fencing Club in Wallingford. She says those sessions have made her a better competitor. It’s also taught her lessons she can pass on to the team’s younger fencers, including her brother, Jaden, a sophomore sabre.

Again, Joline has additional responsibility as a returning captain.

“I definitely take a lot of pride in it,” Joline says. “It definitely helped me get going into this year [having been a captain as a junior], knowing what to expect. Last year it was a very proud moment. There was a lot of responsibility put on me, which I was ready to take. I want to end this year on a good note, leave my legacy with the team.”

Joline has many goals, including performing better both individually and as a team at the state level. Like Harris, she wants to get North Haven back to competing for state championships. She also wants to continue to be a role model and pass on what she’s learned from the captains before her. Because of that, Harris considers her a “huge resource” for the program both now and in the future.

“Most of the people who start with us,” Harris notes, “start when they get to high school. Joline is a perfect example of somebody who had never picked up a weapon before she came out her freshman year.”

“I was reluctant about joining, but I learned to love it,” Joline adds. “There was one practice when I was a freshman, I was just watching the varsity kids fence, and it was amazing how fast they could go. The actions they would do really drew me into fencing.”

Now, Joline’s at the point where she’s begun thinking about a future in fencing. She’s not sure if she wants to compete collegiately, but there’s obviously still time to decide. There’s plenty of opportunities elsewhere, particularly at the club level, should she choose a slightly different path. She also has many other hobbies, including cooking/baking and music. She played the saxophone for the school band at football games and is also well-versed with the piano, guitar, bass and drums.

No matter what she tries, she knows she will succeed. That’s how it’s always been with her.

“If all else fails,” Joline says, “I just work on it.”