Girls Fencing: Great Neck South’s Macy Meng looks to defend Nassau epee title

Macy Meng has already established herself as one of the top fencers on Long Island, but the Great Neck South senior is ready to climb to new heights.

“I want to try to go further and see what the limit is,” said Meng, the reigning county champion in epee, who earned Newsday’s girls fencer of the year award as a junior. “As a senior, I want to leave school knowing I did the best I could and pushed the team as far as it can go.”

Meng is a two-time county finalist and also won the Brentwood Holiday Tournament last year, a competition which features the top fencers from both counties. She said she will try to continue her individual success, but her top goal will be trying to help the Rebels win their first county title since 2011.

“This year, I’m the captain,” she said. “I put a lot of responsibility on myself. My personal goal is for everyone to learn a new move and become a better fencer.”

Said Great Neck South coach Katie Sagevick: “She’s intense and extremely dedicated and driven. She pushes herself and pushes her teammates, and she has an impeccable record.”

Sagevick added Meng is an incredibly humble athlete and said “she doesn’t like taking credit for her success or those fencers who have had success under her.”

Meng went 31-3 in dual meets last season, before taking home the county title, becoming the third consecutive epeeist from Great Neck South to win it. Vera Lin, who fell to Meng in the semifinals, had won the previous two.

“I always looked up to Vera and respected her,” Meng said. “It was hard but it was a wonderful bout. We were both really pushing each other.”

The match marked a passing of the torch of sorts, as Meng has now succeeded Lin as Great Neck South’s captain and the epeeist to beat in the county.

It’s a challenge Meng said she is prepared to meet, but she said the unpredictability inherent in epee fencing will make it imperative for her remain “mentally prepared.”

This preparedness is also something she said will be key for the Rebels as a team, who reached last season’s county final.

Angeline Lei will join Meng in epee, Ariel Kang leads the Rebels in foil, and Ashley Kim and Mary Ye return in sabre.

Their competition will include reigning champions Garden City (which has won three of the last four county titles), Jericho and Great Neck North. Oyster Bay and Valley Stream District will be in the mix, as well.

In Suffolk, Crystal Chen leads reigning Long Island champions from Half Hollow Hills. Perennial powers Ward Melville and Commack also have eyes on the crown. Whitman returns a veteran squad and has the potential to be a sleeper.

It looks to be one of the more competitive seasons in recent years in both counties, and Meng said she is hopeful her squad can rise to the occasion.

“I hope we can go as far as we can,” Meng said. “Hopefully we can go to the top.”