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Nguyen a Valuable Asset as All-State North Haven Fencer

They say not to give in to peer pressure. In most cases, that sentiment holds true. For Jaden Nguyen, it is because of that pressure that he has shaped into one of the best fencers that not only North Haven has to offer, but also the state of Connecticut.

The sophomore sabre fencer would’ve never thought to take up fencing had it not been for his sister influencing him to do it. Since then, he has continued to grow and hasn’t looked back.

“I was not really inspired to start this sport. My sister Joline, who was captain, asked me to join the team because they didn’t have many people,” says Jaden. “I ended up liking the sport and now here I am.”

Nighthawks Head Coach Jim Harris has seen tremendous growth from Jaden over the past two seasons of coaching him, recognizing his accomplishments in the most intense competitions.

“Jaden is a sabre fencer. Sabre uses the side of the weapon in a cutting motion (as opposed to foil and épée which use the tip of the weapon to score points),” says Harris. “I have coached Jaden over the last two years. Jaden was a high finisher at Individual States.”

Despite also playing baseball in the spring for the Nighthawks, Jaden wants to focus more on fencing as his high school tenure progresses to try and reach even greater heights with the sport. Alongside fencing for North Haven, he fences at two other clubs on the side to enhance his skills even more.

“I fence outside of school, the main club I go to is Shoreline Fencing Club in Branford which is where my assistant coach Josie Rocca also coaches,” says Jaden. “The other club I go to is Silver City in Wallingford, which is where my other assistant coach Stu Holmes coaches at.”

On March 4, Jaden and the Nighthawks competed at the Individual States Championship at the Jewish Community Center (JCC) in Woodbridge. Harris notes that Jaden finished fifth overall for this meet, finding himself a spot on the All-State Second Team. Jaden’s performance helped his team qualify for the Team State Championship the following week.

“I was able to lead our squad into the Team State Championships by placing fifth in the Individual State Tournament for men’s sabre,” says Jaden.

Despite finishing in a position that defined him as one of the elite fencers in the state, Jaden remained focused on the fact that there was still room for growth and improvement with his skills.

“My reaction wasn’t surprising or overly happy because I knew that I was going to medal in states because I worked hard in and out of the season to improve my fencing,” says Jaden. “I thought to myself that there is still work that needs to be done, and considering I was partly injured while fencing in states I was still happy I placed fifth.”

Those injuries kept piling up for Jaden this season, so he not only had to push through them to help put up strong numbers for his squad while missing some matches, but also had to step up as a leader and experienced fencer for his fellow Nighthawks.

“I faced injuries that were ongoing, and I had to just deal with them throughout the season,” says Jaden. “I also had to be pushed into the role as a leader since last year there were mostly novice fencers including me, and now we have to lead the team and step up.”

Harris has high hopes for Jaden heading into not only next season but the rest of his fencing tenure, especially in his last two years at the high school level.

“Jaden had several injuries which prevented him from competing in many of our matches,” says Harris. “He is a naturally gifted fencer who on the strip looks like he has been competing for much longer than he has. Jaden will most likely be working with coaches at the Shoreline Fencing Club this offseason and should continue to grow into being one of the top fencers in the state if he so chooses.”

As Jaden looks ahead to his upperclassman tenure, he looks forward to continuing to fight and give it his all every day. He has made it a goal for himself to compete nationally one day and wants to stay healthy so he can provide even more value next season.

“As of now I am thinking of the present moment, not the future or even the past. I want to work on what needs to be done now with my mentality, perfecting technique, and style of my fencing,” says Jaden. “[I want to focus on] also staying healthy physically and of course mentally. That is how I was able to go from not even knowing what fencing is to being the fifth best fencer this year.”