Glen Ridge High School senior Jonathan Dai shows his second-place medal at the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association’s boys fencing state individual finals.
GLEN RIDGE, NJ — Jonathan Dai proved he is one of the best high school fencers in the state.
Competing as an independent, the Glen Ridge High School senior won the second-place medal in foil at the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association’s state individual finals at Hunterdon Central High School in Flemington on Saturday, March 1.
Dai finished behind Bora Akyamac, of Pingry, in a field of 43 competitors.
The following is a Q&A with Dai:
Q: How long have you been fencing, where do you train and how long have you been training there?
A: I started fencing when I was 7. My parents were on an assignment in Shanghai then and there were many fencing clubs. In 2016, when I was 9, we moved back to Pennsylvania. There were no fencing clubs in the area, so I started the hour-and-half long commute one way to V Fencing, a fencing club in northern New Jersey. We did it for five years until the high school transition year. We decided to move to New Jersey to be closer to the club and to the Newark Liberty airport because I was competing extensively, both domestically and internationally. I have been training at V Fencing for nine years.
Q: What do you like about fencing?
A: When I was in preschool, my parents had me try various sports – swimming, basketball, soccer, baseball, fencing, etc. I fell in love with fencing the first time I was on the strip. I loved that I was able to emulate characters onscreen and in movies that took inspiration from fencing, and that winning is not just about being stronger, bigger or faster. It is a mind game just as much as, if not more so, a mental game. I particularly enjoy scoring a point in a tricky way…it is fun. It has trained me to quickly come up with a strategy in challenging situations, and the resiliency against adversity; you deal with failure all the time and you must need to come back up and go.
Q: Are you happy to get No. 2 in the state at the New Jersey High School Fencing Championship?
A: This is my first time competing in a high school tournament. Glen Ridge does not have a fencing team, so I competed as an independent. I qualified in the first round for independent fencers in early February.
The format of the tournament with 5-point pools only, is different from that of the tournaments I usually competed at, like North American Cup, Junior Olympics or Junior World Cup competitions, where we do 5-touch pools first and then 15-point direct elimination later.
I learned to adjust to this format, and it gives me a preview of what an NCAA individual championship is like. I also had the opportunity to meet some foil fencers from other high schools, which is great.
Q: As an independent student-athlete, what would you like to say to those who like sports but are not sure?
A: Glen Ridge High School has supported me tremendously during the past four years. Being one of the top public schools, it has high academic standards on students. I competed at North American Cups, national championships and Junior Olympics, as well European cadet circuits and Junior World Cups representing the USA. The school leadership team and administration made sure that I get the help from teachers as needed, and I made sure never to miss turning in my assignments wherever I am. Studying and working at the airports, on the planes and in hotel rooms, is a norm for me. I gave up a lot of birthday parties, get-togethers and video-game opportunities in order to practice or compete. I want to tell my fellow high school students that if you are passionate about a sport, go for it.
Of course, it will be a lot of hard work and sacrifices, but no pain, no gain, and no regrets. With hard work and discipline, one can excel in both academic and athletic pursuits.
Notes – Dai, who signed a letter of intent to continue his fencing career at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana, is ranked No. 16 in the USA Junior Rolling ranking, No. 53 in USA Division 1 (Senior) Rolling ranking and No. 149 in Junior FIE Ranking (International Fencing Foundation).
Dai was on the USA Cadet Team in his sophomore and junior years (top 20 in the country), and made the USA Fencing High School All-American First Team and USA Fencing All-Academic First Team. He was also in the GRHS National Honors Society.
In addition, Dai has medalled and was in the top eight on numerous national and international competitions, representing the USA.
Photos Courtesy of Jane Zhang
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