Kaylin Hsieh Sin-yan did what she set out to do at the NCAA Fencing Championships, claiming gold in the women’s épée and laying down a marker for the Asian Games in the process. The Notre Dame student became the second Hong Kong fencer to claim the title, following in the footsteps of Vivian Kong Man-wai, who won it while representing Stanford in 2014. Hsieh, who narrowly lost in the final a year ago to Laura Fekete, has improved dramatically since then, a process helped by her appearance at the Tokyo Olympics last August. NATIONAL. CHAMPION. @NDFencing ’s @kaylinhsieh1 won the first individual title of this year’s championship— the women’s épée crown on her home strips at Purcell Pavilion! #GoIrish pic.twitter.com/I7kgKEITkM — The Fighting Irish (@FightingIrish) March 25, 2022 The 20-year-old dominated the competition, compiling a 21-2 record, with her two defeats in pool stage. She even took revenge on Fekete, beating the Long Island University student 15-10 to set up a final clash with Emily Vermeule of Harvard. Hsieh, who beat Vermeule in the final of the 2018 junior World Championships, was too good again, winning 15-10. The promising fencer said she became more mature after her maiden Olympic appearance in Tokyo last summer. Women's Epee NATIONAL CHAMPION!🤩 Congratulations Kaylin Hsieh on winning the national title 15-10! #GoIrish pic.twitter.com/mhrnuegC7W — Notre Dame Fencing (@NDFencing) March 25, 2022 “I am more consistent now compared to last year’s final when I also failed to deliver some of my techniques,” she said. “I also did well in the World Cup series after the Olympics because of the same reason, do the right thing at the right time. “Also, I have learned to be more patient even if I was trailing behind. In the pool stage, I was 2-4 behind a fencer from my university but I stayed calm and came from behind to win the bout 5-4.” Hong Kong fencer Hsieh says ‘gold my only goal’ at 2022 NCAA Championships Hsieh, the third Hong Kong fencer to win a junior world title after Karen Chang Ngai-hing in 2013, and Cheung Ka-long in 2017, attributed her victory for her strong desire to become the champion. “I was feeling unwell before the championship perhaps because of over training and had to hang in there starting from the regional events,” said Hsieh. “I was so eager to win, not only because of the champion’s ring, but also the opportunity to carve my name on the university changing room locker, which will stay there forever even if I have left the university. It’s such a big honour. “The NCAA title is a strong boost for the World University Games in July which will be followed by the Asian Games. I spent a lot of effort of keeping my concentration in the championship, trying to make less mistakes and adjusting my game quickly when I was trailing behind.”