NCTTA Newsletter
October 2010

The 2010-2011 competition is here and we've got a run-down of the division competition schedule. Plus, the search for a 2011 Champs site is re-opened yet again and a team in only it's second season makes the leap from club sport to intercollegiate team. Which one? Read on for all this and more ...

Can't wait for fall compeition to get underway? Here's a list of upcoming division competitions:

October 22nd @ Texas Wesleyan University (Texas)
October 24th @ Cornell University (Upstate NY)
October 24th @ Penn State University (Mid Atlantic)

October 30th @ University of Akron (Ohio), tentative
October 30th @ UC Berkeley (NorCal)
October 31st @ Virginia Tech (Virginia)
October 31st @ Decatur Gym (Georgia)

November 6th @ University of Toronto (Eastern Canada)
November 6th @ Carleton College (Minnesota)
November 6th/7th @ Fashion Institute of Technology (NYC)
November 7th @ Lindenwood University (Midwest)
November 7th @ Harvard University (New England)

November 14th @ University of Florida (Florida)

November 20th @ Portland State University (Northwest)
November 20th @ Santa Monica College (SoCal)
Novmeber 20th @ Governor’s State University (Upper Midwest)

December 4th @ University of Akron (Ohio), tentative

Still Time to Complete Membership Requirements for Upcoming Season
Late registration deadline extends until 48 hours before first division competition

Though the October 1 early registration deadline has come and gone, there's still time to join NCTTA and compete in the 2010-2011 Competition Season. Schools/clubs can still complete the following steps up until 48 hours before the first division competition:

1. Fill out and submit the Online Membership Form.
   Men's/coed and women's teams from the same school must register separately.
2. Pay the appropriate membership fee for your school (online as part of the Online Membership Form). No membership fees accepted at division meets.
3. Take the Fall Eligibility Form to your school’s registrar office to have them verify your players’ eligibility and turn it in to your Division Director at the first meet.

Be sure to take your team's eligibility form to your school's registrar office well before your division meet as it can take the registrar some time to process it.

Don't delay, complete your team's membership requirements today!

NCTTA Re-Re-Opens Bidding for 2011 Champs Site

It’s back to the drawing board for the 2011 NCTTA championships site.

Since Texas Wesleyan pulled out in September as a site for the April 2011 games, Fort Worth is out of the picture. NCTTA contacted Bloomington, Indiana, the 2nd choice in the bidding process, but the facility is no longer available in early April.

Long story short, the NCTTA leadership has decided to start the bidding process over again. Yes, there have been many more twists and turns than we wanted, but we continue to believe we will come up with a viable site for the championships when all is said and done. Are we disappointed? The answer is yes, but life goes on.

For those who are new to the world of college table tennis, the 2010 championships were held near Milwaukee, Wisconsin after Rochester, Minnesota hosted the games in 2008 and 2009. Over the years, we’ve held the championships in states like Texas, Ohio and California. Where do we go next? Stay turned and we will let you know.

No matter where it will be, the championships in April 2011 figure to attract more than 30 of the best collegiate table tennis teams from the United States and Canada. Big-league sponsors like Newgy Industries and Killerspin help make the championships a great event year after year.

Cities interested in hosting the 2011 Championships should check out the Championships Bidding Guidelines and submit a completed Bid Application by November 1, 2010. The winning bid will be announced by mid-November.

Sponsor Corner
Special thanks to our sponsors, Newgy and Killerspin!

NCTTA, would like to thank Killerspin for its support of college table tennis. Killerspin is the exclusive NCTTA League and Championship Equipment sponsor through 2011. Member schools just need to fill out the Killerspin Premium Membership Program Application to receive phenomenal discounts. Browse all your favorite Killerspin equipment in the online Killerspin store.

Also, special thanks to NEWGY Industries, for its continued support of college table tennis especially the Newgy-NCTTA Scholarship Program (see above). Newgy offers a great way to fundraise for your club and help out our sponsor as well by signing up and participating in their Newgy Robo Pong Affiliate Program.

George Taplin Attends World Senior Games

Hats off to Kansas Division Director George Taplin, who recently took a leave of absence to attend the World Senior Games in Utah.

What’s this all about? For senior citizens, it is like the Olympics with every sport imaginable – from table tennis to badminton to pickle ball, tennis and much more. For men and women, who are in their fifties and on up, the event is also a great way to promote health and, at the same time, pump up the economy in Southern Utah. With the USA economy still in tough shape, every little bit helps.

Founded in 1987 by Daisy and John H. Morgan, Jr, the senior games in Utah went on from Oct. 4-Oct. 16, 2010.

With Taplin away for the World Senior Games (they hosted 26 events), Zach Moore stepped up and filled in to oversee the action when the NCTTA’s Kansas regional tournament was held October 2 on the campus of Kansas State University.

At NCTTA headquarters, we want to say thanks to Zach Moore and kudos to Taplin for taking time to participate in a worthy cause! Anything to promote healthy lifestyles and fitness, for young or old across the USA, is a good thing.

Governors State Becomes Intercollegiate Team in Second Season

The new kid on the block a year ago in collegiate table tennis circles, Governors State University is hoping to make more waves in the Upper Midwest Division this fall. The Governor’s State women’s team qualified for the Championships last year as a club sport and recently became an intercollegiate team heading into its second season.

Team tryouts are history and a dozen GSU students made the team at a 41-year-old school that prides itself on its diverse enrollment, its affordable tuition and well-respected faculty in the Chicago area.

Professor T.J. Wang, who teaches accounting at GSU, is the architect of the team that competed at the 2010 NCTTA Championships in Wisconsin last April. Wang needed to do a rebuilding job because there were no returning members from the talented squad that played in the championships held near Milwaukee.

Read more ...

Maria Montano - Tyler Brady Marriage Made By
Table Tennis

Maria Montano and Tyler Brady grew up thousands of miles apart on different continents, but table tennis brought them together and eventually lead to marriage.

In what figures to be one of the biggest social events in the heart of the Dixie Division, Montano and Brady celebrated their wedding day in Central Mississippi on October 9. Table tennis lovers from the University of Southern Mississippi and Mississippi College joined family and friends for the ceremony at Saint Paul Catholic Church and a reception at Luckett Lodge in Brandon. Wedding guests on the humid fall Saturday included Dixie Division Director Herb Bennett of Hattiesburg, MC team sponsor Andy Kanengiser, and MC Athletic Director Mike Jones.

Maria Montano, who grew up in Venezuela in South America, first met Tyler Brady during their table tennis playing days at Southern Miss. a few years ago. You might say it was love at first serve on the Hattiesburg campus (sorry, couldn’t resist).

Montano was a table tennis standout at Southern Miss. and later at Mississippi College where she earned her bachelor’s degree in biological sciences. Her table tennis resume includes stops at the 2007 Championships in Columbus, Ohio for the USM Golden Eagles team and at the 2009 Championships in Rochester, Minnesota as part of the Mississippi College Choctaws team. As a member of the MC team dominated by Chinese players, Maria taught her teammates to loudly cheer in Spanish during the championships in Minnesota and on the MC campus.

Tyler, who moved to the Jackson, Mississippi area to work in the real estate business after finishing up at Southern Miss, was a regular at MC practices when Maria was a member of the team.

Maria and Tyler won’t be around when Mississippi College hosts the Dixie Division tournament on Oct. 16. Word has it that they will be on their honeymoon in Jamaica. Congrats to the happy couple from table tennis fans everywhere!

Got an idea for a future story or newsletter topic? Email the NCTTA Media Relations Chair.

NCTTA Newsletter
November 2010

In this month's newsletter we've got a run-down of results from division competition from around the country, the long search for a site for the 2011 Championships comes to an end (for hopefully the last time) and a NYC-based organization is building excitement about youth table tennis. Read on for all this and more ...

Minnesota Hosts 2011 Championships
Championships returns to Rochester, MN after 2010 Champs in Milwaukee, WI

Rochester, Minnesota successfully hosted the NCTTA championships in 2008 and 2009.

Given that warm reception that collegiate table tennis players received for those two years, NCTTA officials are confident the home of the famed Mayo Clinic will be a great place for the College Table Tennis Championships in April 2011. In recent days, NCTTA leaders tallied the votes and picked Rochester over four other sites in Tennessee, Georgia and Michigan.

“We were very pleased with Rochester’s hospitality, the facilities and resources they supplied in 2008 and 2009 and we’re excited to return to Minnesota for the 2011 championships,” NCTTA President Willy Leparulo announced Monday Nov. 15. “We want to thank all the bidders for seeking this tournament that will feature the best collegiate table tennis players in the United States and Canada,” he added.

Read more ...

New York City Grows Youth Table Tennis

In the heart of the Big Apple, there are some positive efforts underway to promote table tennis among New York City youngsters.

Leading the charge is the American Youth Table Tennis Organization. The group is working with more than 300 NYC middle school and high school kids in a table tennis league this year. They have nine table tennis coaches working with school physical education teachers to spotlight their favorite sport. Last year, they started with 160 middle school students from a dozen NYC schools in a table tennis league. So as you can see the numbers are growing and that’s good news for us in the NCTTA. They hope to expand the league in 2011.

“We do seek to partner with the NCTTA to grow our sport,” says AYTTO leader Ben Nisbet. Once they graduate high school “we anticipate a number of our students will end up playing with NCTTA schools,” he added.

For NCTTA members, there are plenty of opportunities to serve as volunteers with the NYC-based organization. By becoming an AYTTO coach, NCTTA players can help these New York kids develop their game, step up their academics and encourage them to play table tennis as a terrific form of exercise. A 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, AYTTO is also looking for donations of used equipment and sponsorships, so please spread the word!

Simply put, the mission of American Youth table Tennis is “to organize, develop and implement innovative programs in the international sport of table tennis that promote the emotional and physical well-being of inner-city youth,” Nisbet says.

We know there are many collegiate table tennis players in the Northeast (and other parts of the USA and Canada) with a big heart who can help. And it also wouldn’t look bad on your resume!

For more information or to become a volunteer, visit the AYTTO website or contact Ben Nisbet via email bnisbet.aytto@... or by phone (917) 686-1911.

Sponsor Corner
Special thanks to our sponsors, Newgy and Killerspin!

NCTTA, would like to thank Killerspin for its support of college table tennis. Killerspin is the exclusive NCTTA League and Championship Equipment sponsor through 2011. Member schools just need to fill out the Killerspin Premium Membership Program Application to receive phenomenal discounts. Browse all your favorite Killerspin equipment in the online Killerspin store.

Also, special thanks to NEWGY Industries, for its continued support of college table tennis especially the Newgy-NCTTA Scholarship Program (see above). Newgy offers a great way to fundraise for your club and help out our sponsor as well by signing up and participating in their Newgy Robo Pong Affiliate Program.

Saint Francis Univ. Debuts in Mid-Atlantic Division

Chalk it up as a learning experience for the Saint Francis University Table Tennis Team.

The squad from Loretto, Pennsylvania is a newcomer in NCTTA ranks and was up against pretty stiff competition in the Mid-Atlantic NCTTA Division this fall. Still, they managed to defeat the Lafayette College Leopards of Easton, Pa. Not too bad for their first showing in NCTTA competition. The Saint Francis Table Tennis Club is led by president Will Judkis and treasurer Tom Szczur.

“We are new to the NCTTA, but love how the organization is run,” Judkis says. The tournament, he said, “was an eye opener for our school. We now know where we stand as a small school.”

He said he and other Saint Francis players learned quite a bit from other coaches at the fall tournament. They can’t wait to return to action in the spring of 2011. Strong teams like Princeton and Penn State are their competitors in the region.

Founded in 1847, Saint Francis is a Catholic Franciscan institution. Its basketball team competes in the Northeast Conference. Under hoops coach Don Friday, the team was tied for sixth in the league last season and is expected to improve in 2010-2011. We predict the Saint Francis table tennis team will get better as well.

Wisconsin-Eau Claire Launches Table Tennis Team

One of the new kids on the college table tennis circuit is the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and the Blugolds are faring well so far in their first season of NCTTA competition.

Wisconsin-Eau Claire fields sports like women’s ice hockey, men’s hockey, men’s basketball, gymnastics,and cross country, to name a few. Its table tennis club actually began four years ago, but this is the first year they’ve fielded an intercollegiate team. “I was a tennis player who was forced indoors during the winter, so I naturally turned to table tennis,” says club founder Roy Thore Koch.

Read more ...

Wichita State Table Tennis Rules Kansas Division

Wichita State University’s basketball team is top-notch. In fact, the Shockers are picked to finish No. 1 in the Missouri Valley Conference in 2010-2011, according to pre-season polls. But did you know the Shockers have an awesome table tennis team, too? In the Kansas Division of NCTTA, the Wichita State Shockers are the defending champs and stayed on top at their recent NCTTA Kansas regional competition.

In a state that’s well known for its wheat, Wichita State table tennis often turns their collegiate opponents into toast. The Wichita State team this fall is led by a very strong female player Luwen Zhang and another tough player P.J. Phachantry. And that combo was too much for opposing college teams from Kansas and Nebraska. Only Nate Meyers of Nebraska managed to push Luwen Zhang to four games, but in the end, it was Zhang who captured the W for WSU.

Kansas came in second, with Kansas State finishing third and Nebraska in fourth, reports Kansas Division Director Zach Moore.

Folks who want to learn more on Wichita State athletics can go to goshockers.com. But if you want to get the best information on their table tennis team, go see them in practice or at an NCTTA tournament. They know how to win!

Mississippi College Packs Punch in Dixie Division

Elvis showed up at Mississippi College’s 2010 Homecoming! Really, the King of Rock n Roll thrilled scores of MC alumni at their 50-year reunion festivities. Stirring as much excitement as an Elvis impersonator during Homecoming, the Mississippi College table tennis team took their A-game to the Dixie Division competition on October 16.

The defending Dixie Division champs for two years in a row, MC finished on top again at the fall 2010 competition at the Baptist Healthplex. On the national scene, they are a formidable bunch.

Read more ...

Cornell Big Red Leads Upstate New York Division

Cornell basketball is real sweet. The Big Red machine won the Ivy League crown, advanced to the NCAA’s Sweet Sixteen and finished with a superb 29-5 season in 2009-2010.

The Ivy League school in Ithaca, New York is also at the top of its game when it comes to table tennis. Led by star player Jorge Escobar, the team sits in first place after the in the NCTTA’s Fall Upstate New York Division competition.

Escobar was undefeated all day in the big event with Cornell cruising to triumphs in A, B for the men and in the women’s division. In the most competitive head to head matches, whether singles or doubles, Cornell knocked off in-state rival Binghamton.

Simply put, the Big Red of Cornell is big-time when it comes to collegiate table tennis. The Ivy League school reclaimed its No. 1 position it had lost to RPI and SUNY-Buffalo in recent years, reports division director Jenny Wang.

Wang says all the teams welcomed newcomer Canisius College with open arms. Canisius “enjoyed themselves very much and were quickly incorporated into the family,” she said.

Newcomer San Jose State Triumphs in Northern California Division

Let’s stand up and cheer for San Jose State University’s table tennis team!

This NCTTA newcomer deserves a hearty round of applause after their recent debut in the Northern California Division. When it was all over, the San Jose State Spartans demolished the opposition. NCTTA veteran teams like Stanford and California-Berkeley all went down to defeat when facing the talented San Jose State squad.

Read more ...

Lindenwood Cruises in Lower Midwest Division

As expected, No. 2 ranked Lindenwood University easily cruised to victory on its home court in early November. Lindenwood’s co-ed team went 6-0 in team contests and didn’t lose a singles match to finish 24-0. Illinois captured second-place. Murray State of Kentucky took third. This year’s newcomer to Lower Midwest action was the Indiana-Bloomington. Also competing: Saint Louis University, Southern Illinois U-Carbondale, and Washington University.

Lower Midwest Division Director Randy Kendle tips his hat to Murray State. They are definitely road warriors. The Murray team traveled three and one-half hours from the Bluegrass State to reach the metropolitan St. Louis area for the regional tournament in Missouri, he noted.

Led by team captain Aron Huckaba, Murray State improved to 4-2 this year, up from a 2-2 record during Spring 2010 competition. Huckaba "has done a wonderful job keeping that
school involved and improving,’’ Kendle said. Murray State brought two female players to the event and hopes to encourage others on the Kentucky campus to develop a women’s table tennis team.

Thanks to all the Lower Midwest Division teams who showed up and knocked heads with a very tough Lindenwood squad!

Got an idea for a future story or newsletter topic? Email the NCTTA Media Relations Chair.

NCTTA Newsletter
December 2010

Happy holidays from NCTTA!

We've got a break in the college table tennis season for the winter holidays, and in this month's newsletter we bring you the remaining fall division results from around the country, profiles of some new college teams, and some fun college table tennis videos. Plus NCTTA is looking to fill some key committee slots, so get involved to help grow college table tennis!

Read on for all this and more ...

Fun Videos from the World of College Table Tennis

Check out the Texas Wesleyan table tennis team, putting on an exhibition halftime show at a Dallas Mavericks basketball game:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsoCOUVa2yg

And here's a cool promotional video done by Jack McCarthy of Cal State Fullerton, with footage from the Southern California division competition:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuVm_bskMXM

For all the latest college table tennis updates, follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/collegett

NCTTA Looking to Fill Key Committee Slots

The NCTTA is conducting a star search across the USA and Canada. During the holiday season and into the new year, we are seeking talented men and women with a passion for collegiate table tennis who want to do more for their favorite sport!

We are sounding the trumpets and making a pitch to table tennis lovers to serve on our key NCTTA committees. Do you like to pen stories about collegiate table tennis? There's a slot for you on the media relations committee. Are you interested in developing the NCTTA's web site? We want creative folks out there to sit on the web development committee. Do you want to get women more involved in table tennis? We want you to go to work on the women's committee. You get the idea.

There are other panels with important functions to make the NCTTA stronger. These panels will help us do a better job serving our players, coaches, fans and others at colleges across America and into Canada.

Other committees with slots to be filled include:

• marketing
• alumni development
• coaching
• eligibility
• disabled athletes
• audit/rules
• recruiting

This would be a terrific way to meet some of the coolest people on the planet. Besides that stuff, it would look good on your resume in the midst of a bad economy. And it's a tremendous way to build your leadership skills in the wonderful world of collegiate table tennis.

The NCTTA recently polled its committee leaders and they decided it would be an excellent idea to reach out and attract new members as we enter a new year, said NCTTA President Willy Leparulo. “We welcome your input. Don't sit on the sidelines! Come join us and promote collegiate table tennis at its very best!”

So sit down, drink a cup of coffee, do a little soul searching and give us a shot. We know you won't regret becoming part of our leadership team. Send us a brief statement about yourself, which committee you’re interested in, and why you want to help. Send the information to info@... by January 10, 2011.

Ottawa Team Rules in Eastern Canada

Ottawa, Canada is a breeding ground for some of the greatest collegiate table tennis players in North America. The city of 900,000 is best known as Canada’s capital city, but the home of the University of Ottawa is quickly gaining a reputation for excellence in college table tennis.

There’s good reason for all this. After all, the city is the headquarters of the Canadian Table Tennis National Training Center. That’s the place where stars of Canada’s national table tennis team polish their skills and get ready for Olympic competition every four years. In a city where the average winter temperature is 14 degrees (Fahrenheit), table tennis is a terrific indoor sport on or off campus.

When it comes to table tennis, the University of Ottawa team is the dominating force in an Eastern Canada division that includes the University of Toronto, Waterloo, Western, McGill, York and McMaster. Toronto is their toughest foe at the moment.

“We are confident we can beat any team that comes our way,” says Xian Meng “Sam” Huang, the president of the University of Ottawa Table Tennis Club.

Read more ...

NCTTA Seeks 2012 Championships Site

The 2011 College Table Tennis Championships is fast approaching in April with Rochester, Minnesota to host the games. But, at the same time at NCTTA headquarters, we're making plans to book the 2012 games.

The deadline is just around the corner - January 31st, 2011, to be exact for cities across the USA to put in their bids. Once the bids come in, we will ask NCTTA leaders to take a look at the proposals, and weigh everything from the venue sites to hotels to transportation. We will look over details about lighting, flooring for the games and what facility will be home base for our fantastic Saturday evening awards banquet. Trust us. The food and fellowship is always good! We seek the input from players, and other NCTTA supporters before we select a site for the 2012 games.

Milwaukee, Wisconsin hosted the 2010 championships and after a number of twists and turns and roadblocks along the way, we selected Rochester, home of the famed Mayo Clinic, as host of the games in April 2011. The event should attract more than 30 college teams bringing 250 college athletes, plus lots of fans, coaches and others who love collegiate table tennis.

For cities interested in bidding:
1. First read the 2012 Championships Bidding Guidelines
2. Submit a completed 2012 Championships Bid Application
Deadline is January 31, 2011.

Miami of Ohio Launches Table Tennis Team

Let’s face it; the Miami of Ohio football team gets tons of media coverage. After all, the RedHawks are the 2010 Mid-American Conference champs in the Eastern Division.

At the same time, Miami’s collegiate table tennis is a new and growing sport at the 16,000-student Ohio school. In fact, the team was founded last year and played in its first NCTTA competition in Akron on December 4th.

Although it may not get quite as much media attention as other sports on campus, the table tennis team is starting to get noticed around the Midwest. Miami’s team was founded by Brett Passen, David Wang, Matthew Brower and Trent Infield, all freshmen, in 2009-2010.

There was a reason the Miami students got busy, formed a club and joined NCTTA ranks. “We all loved the sport and saw room for a club on campus,” says Passen, the team’s leader. “We gained status as an organization last year, and this year gained status as a full club sport.”

Last year, three Miami players qualified for the singles competition at College Table Tennis Championships near Milwaukee. That was another big step forward. In 2010-2011, the team continues to make progress. “We have lots of new players – watch out for Kendall McQuay and Yuan Sun!” Brett says. “We are looking forward to a good year.”

With NCAA sports in the Mid-American Conference, others competing in the Collegiate Hockey Association, and still more under the U.S. Figure Skating Association umbrella, there’s plenty to do when it comes to sports on the Miami of Ohio campus. Now add table tennis to the mix of collegiate teams.

Governors State Strong in Upper Midwest Division

Hosting the Upper Midwest regional tourney for the first time, Governors State University’s table tennis team really shined and sits in 1st place in a talented NCTTA division.

When all was said and done, Governors State defeated 5th-ranked Wisconsin, its toughest challenger, in a tight battle decided by doubles.

With a lineup of six college teams, the November 20 tournament on the University Park campus in metropolitan Chicago worked in so many ways. The opening ceremony was terrific with all the teams introduced to the crowd.

Governors State University President Dr. Elaine P. Maimon and other school officials welcomed the visiting players, who were all treated to a free buffet lunch and a nice towel to take home.

Read more ...

Thanksgiving Feast Unites American and Chinese Cultures

A bountiful Thanksgiving dinner in Mississippi united American and Chinese cultures. And this memorable time of fellowship in late November was all brought about due to table tennis!
The gathering over turkey, dressing, and an assortment of veggies like sweet potatoes and green beans plus pumpkin pie brought together members of Mississippi College’s table tennis team at a Clinton home.
Returning thousands of miles away to China for Thanksgiving break is really out of the question for the university’s Chinese students.

Read more ...

Ohio State 1st in Ohio Division after Fall Competition

Big Ten football powers Ohio State and Michigan State are getting ready for big-time bowl games in early January. The 11-1 Ohio State Buckeyes face Arkansas in the Sugar Bowl, while the 11-1 Michigan State Spartans will take on Alabama in the Capital One Bowl.

Both Midwest football giants also field powerful table tennis teams that battled it out in the Ohio/Michigan NCTTA regional competition. In early December, the OSU Buckeyes (8-0) edged the 8th-ranked MSU Spartans (7-1) and currently sit in 1st place in the division, with Michigan State 2nd.

Ohio State’s No. 1 player Darren Tang defeated Michigan State’s Allen Lin in three straight games. OSU’s No. 2 player Qun Zhang won a close one over MSU’s Jingtin Hu with the 5th game going to 11-9. MSU’s Benle Toth prevailed 3-0 over OSU’s Ricky Wessel. OSU’s No. 4 player Liang Liao got the “W” over Aman Singhal to give OSU a 3-1 team win.

The competition brought eight teams together under one roof during Dec. 4 competition at the University of Akron. Current division standings have Case Western at No. 3, Akron in 4th place, Ferris State at No. 5, Oberlin in 6th place, Miami of Ohio in the 7th spot and Saginaw Valley 8th.

Hats off to Ohio/Michigan NCTTA Division Director Brian Fowler for running a superb regional table tennis tournament. There’s more excitement to come in the new year. Ohio State, Michigan State and others will return for more regional NCTTA action in the spring of 2011.

Sponsor Corner
Special thanks to our sponsors, Newgy and Killerspin!

NCTTA, would like to thank Killerspin for its support of college table tennis. Killerspin is the exclusive NCTTA League and Championship Equipment sponsor through 2011. Member schools just need to fill out the Killerspin Premium Membership Program Application to receive phenomenal discounts. Browse all your favorite Killerspin equipment in the online Killerspin store.

Also, special thanks to NEWGY Industries, for its continued support of college table tennis. Newgy offers a great way to fundraise for your club and help out our sponsor as well by signing up and participating in their Newgy Robo Pong Affiliate Program.

Got an idea for a future story or newsletter topic? Email the NCTTA Media Relations Chair.

NCTTA Newsletter
January 2011

As we gear up for the second half of the college table tennis season we've got your men's/coed and women's top 25 rankings, the schedule for ACUI singles qualifiers, updates on the College Table Tennis Championships, and the scoop on NCTTA's newest division.

Read on for all this and more ...

Mid-Season Rankings Reveal Interesting Trends

Hot off the presses, NCTTA’s mid-season rankings are out with some interesting trends for sure. Here are a few tidbits that really stand out:

• College table tennis is really catching fire in sub-freezing Canada. Four teams from Canada rank near the top in the men’s/coed division: Ottawa, Toronto, Western Ontario and Waterloo.
• Lindenwood is coming on strong. On the women’s side, Lindenwood of Missouri is the No. 1 team. Perennial powerhouse Texas Wesleyan, drops to No. 4 after occupying the top spot in the women’s rankings since September 2007.
• Newcomers are making their mark. San Jose State may be the biggest surprise, returning from an eight year hiatus to emerge at No. 5 on the rankings. New women’s teams at Purdue (No. 15) and Harvard (No. 18) have also hit the Top 25 in their first season.

Take a look at the new rankings and let us know what you think and what makes for a good story idea for a future NCTTA newsletter. The rankings are nice to study and get conversations going, but the real action heats up with Spring 2011 division competition on campuses around the USA and Canada starting in February.

ACUI Tourney Time Nears

Want to get to the 2011 Championships in Rochester, Minnesota? Even for teams that don’t qualify, there’s still a chance for singles competitors. This February, players hoping to punch their ticket to the Championships will flock to table tennis tournaments sponsored by the Association of College Unions International (ACUI).

Founded in 1914, ACUI brings together college union and student activities professionals. Each year, ACUI hosts regional recreation tournaments in 15 regions. Check out the complete rundown of competition sites for 2011.

The competitions are right around the corner, so hurry up and register for your region’s tournament today!

Rocky Mountain Division Welcomes Utah Schools

Sounding like something out of the hit TV series “Survivor,” members of the Utah table tennis team made the scary 15-hour drive through snowstorms in the Sierra Nevada Mountains to compete in NCTTA tournaments in California.

That incredible journey amid treacherous road conditions is history. Starting this spring, NCTTA welcomes a new Rocky Mountain Division that will keep teams like Utah much closer to home. There’s really no reason now for the Utes and others on the team to make the long trip to compete in the Northern California Division at Stanford University.

The Utah players definitely won’t miss the long ride to Palo Alto, CA. “They were delighted with the opportunity to play in a new division closer to home,” says Ed Toomey, NCTTA Recruitment Committee Chair.

Read more ...

Deadline nears for 2012 NCTTA Championship Bids

NCTTA leaders are gearing up for the 2011 Championships in Rochester, Minnesota. But at
the same time we’ve got to nail down a site for the 2012 games in a few weeks.
The deadline will be the final day in January for cities across the USA that want to submit bids to host the 2012 Championships. Once the bids come in, NCTTA folks will study the bid information, and post the details on our website. At that point, we want to get feedback from our NCTTA family…and that means you!

We want excellent facilities for table tennis – from flooring to lighting to seats for fans. But we also want to make sure our championship site for 2012 has other amenities – from nice hotels and restaurants – and also that our transportation needs are met. We want to make sure that host cities will truly welcome us for three wonderful days of collegiate table tennis competition. We want terrific food and adequate space for our Saturday evening awards banquet.

Our 2011 Championships in Rochester follows a site for the championship games near Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 2010. But we are open to sites outside the Upper Midwest. We’ve held the games in states like Ohio, California and Texas in past years. Other bidders for the 2011 Championships included cities from Tennessee, Indiana, Michigan and Georgia.

So if you know of a potential bidder for the NCTTA championships, please spread the word. We want the very best site for our collegiate table tennis players, coaches, fans, volunteers and other supporters across the USA and Canada. And with the January 31 deadline looming, convention & visitor bureaus and other city and school officials are being asked to host us for what should be a memorable experience in April 2012!

For cities interested in bidding:
1. First read the 2012 Championships Bidding Guidelines
2. Submit a completed 2012 Championships Bid Application
Deadline is January 31, 2011.

Sponsor Corner
Special thanks to our sponsors, Newgy and Killerspin!

NCTTA, would like to thank Killerspin for its support of college table tennis. Killerspin is the exclusive NCTTA League and Championship Equipment sponsor through 2011. Member schools just need to fill out the Killerspin Premium Membership Program Application to receive phenomenal discounts. Browse all your favorite Killerspin equipment in the online Killerspin store.

Also, special thanks to NEWGY Industries, for its continued support of college table tennis. Newgy offers a great way to fundraise for your club and help out our sponsor as well by signing up and participating in their Newgy Robo Pong Affiliate Program.

Got an idea for a future story or newsletter topic? Email the NCTTA Media Relations Chair.

Athletes with Intellectual Disabilities Sought for 2012 Paralympics

The 2012 Paralympics in London will feature athletes with intellectual disabilities for the first time since the 2000 games. And table tennis is one of the sports to add a classification for athletes with intellectual disabilities (ID) to compete in.

There’s just one problem: finding US athletes to compete in this new event.

According to Tracy Lea who works with Athletes Without Limits, an organization dedicated to developing and supporting ID athletes in international competition, there are currently “no athletes identified who are already playing at relatively high level for this disability group.”

Think you can help? If you know of any table tennis players with intellectual disabilities out there, get in touch with Tracy Lea. They might have a shot at representing the US in 2012. They would of course need to meet certain guidelines as set by the IPC and ITTF to be eligible.

2011 Championships Seeks Additional Sponsors

Big-time sponsors of the NCTTA’s 2011 Championships in Rochester, Minnesota are truly
outstanding! We are fortunate to have major sponsors like Killerspin and Newgy Industries on board for the 2011 College Table Tennis Championships.

But there’s room for other sponsors to step forward in the coming weeks. Before the April 2011 games begin in Rochester, home of the world-class Mayo Clinic, NCTTA folks are making their pitch to businesses and others to get involved in our fantastic tournament. There are opportunities for companies or individuals to become sponsors of such things as our national championship programs, t-shirts, our Championship website, and more.

The National Collegiate Table Tennis Association is the umbrella group that oversees collegiate table tennis at more than 150 campuses in the USA and Canada. Perhaps you know somebody out there who can play a big role with us. There are plenty of nice sponsorship possibilities we can discuss. Please contact our NCTTA leadership team to talk to us as potential sponsors and help make three terrific days of collegiate table tennis that much better!

It’s approaching mid-January and the championships are just three months away. So
contact NCTTA officers as soon as possible. We would love to hear from you as we build our 2011 sponsorship team!

Spring NCTTA Competition Fast Approaching

NCTTA action is heating up this winter, with division tournaments booked starting in early February. Not too many miles away from all the fun Disney attractions, the Florida Division will be among the first to kick off the second half of the season, as Florida players head to the University of Central Florida on February 5th.

On the same date, in the frigid Land of Ten Thousand Lakes, teams in the Minnesota division compete at Rochester Community Technical College. One day later, on February 6th, table tennis powerhouse Lindenwood (No. 2 Coed/No.1 Women) hosts the Lower Midwest division in Missouri.

Here before you know it, on Feb. 12, Ivy Leaguer Princeton hosts the Mid Atlantic division in New Jersey, the Decatur Gym hosts the Georgia Division and Stanford will toss out the welcome mat for teams in the Northern California division.

A week later, on Feb. 19, there are at least 4 division tournaments on the NCTTA calendar: Cornell hosts the Upstate New York Division, Portland State will be the home of the Northwest Division, Toronto will be the arena for the Eastern Canada Division, and Mississippi College hosts the Dixie Division near the capital city of Jackson.

Other key dates include Feb. 26th when Ohio division teams square off at the University of Akron. For a complete listing of NCTTA spring tournament check out nctta.org.

Around the United States and Canada Spring division competition is critical as college teams punch their tickets to the 2011 Championships in Minnesota. At NCTTA headquarters, we say invite your friends and family members to see some of the best collegiate table tennis in North America!

NCTTA Newsletter
February 2011

Spring competition is in full swing as teams look to punch their tickets to the 2011 Championships. And we've got all the details on 2011 Champs volunteer opportunities, a new tournament fundraiser concept, a profile of a notable NCTTA alum, plus the 2012 Championships bids.

Read on for all this and more ...

Volunteers Needed for 2011 National Championships
By Andy Kanengiser, Media Relations Chair

Armies of volunteers are needed at the best collegiate table tennis event in North America! And now is the time to step forward if you want to assist as an umpire, work at an information desk, help set up equipment or take on a variety of tasks in Rochester, Minnesota, April 15-17.

At NCTTA headquarters, we always say that the success of our Championships depends on the hard work of our volunteers. Trust us. We mean it. There are plenty of opportunities out there for people with skills in hospitality, media, transportation, or simply being there at the registration desk with a smile on your face.

Granted, the pay isn’t terrific. But there are some perks that go with the job. For instance, there are free tournament shirts going to all volunteers. We also take care of the cost of going to NCTTA’s fabulous awards banquet Saturday night. There’s more. We go all out to make sure your meals are taken care of and do our best on a limited budget to ease lodging costs.

So if you want to meet some of the finest people on the planet, do some of the important behind-the scenes activities at North America’s premier collegiate table tennis event, give us a buzz. Please fill out the volunteer form on the Championships website and tell us what assignments you have in mind. We salute the work of our volunteers from years past, and welcome new ones to our team in Minnesota!

New Beginnings for a New NCTTA School

Southern Miss., West Florida, Florida State, and Alabama-Montgomery came together for some “new beginnings” as LA Johnston and the Pensacola Table Tennis club debuted a new table tennis tournament concept on January 15th. Held at the Fricker Community Center in Pensacola, Florida, the zero-star tournament served as a fundraiser for the new Montgomery Table Tennis Club.

The brainchild of Pensacola Club leader, LA Johnston, the New Beginnings Sponsorship Tournaments aim to help new table tennis clubs by hosting fundraiser tournaments at better established clubs in the area. Attracting 33 participants from Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee and Florida, the tournament also had an appearance from NCTTA sponsor, Newgy Industries who donated a 2040 Robot!

The Montgomery Club will be sharing its space with the University of Alabama-Montgomery and expects to purchase 3 new tables from the tournament proceeds. With the additional tables they hope to soon start hosting their own sanctioned tournaments.

Acquiring several quality tables is one of the biggest challenges facing new clubs, Johnston observes. And without tournament revenues, clubs can struggle to grow and become self sufficient. Johnston hopes to continue the movement with other clubs around the country. Which means that pretty soon, we may see a lot more table tennis clubs with some new beginnings.

Lindenwood Captures Lower Midwest Division
By Andy Kanengiser, Media Relations Chair

By now, just about everybody on the planet knows the Green Bay Packers edged the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-25 to win Super Bowl XLV. The margin of victory wasn’t nearly as close as table tennis powerhouse Lindenwood rolled to their second straight Lower Midwest Division title.

There were no Cheeseheads in the stands, and the action on the Missouri campus was really a big-time table tennis blowout on February 6th. Coached by Randy Kendle, Lindenwood’s 2nd-ranked coed team went undefeated (4-0), not dropping a singles match along the way. In fact, over the entire season, Lindenwood is a mighty 40-0 in singles matches. Expect the team from Missouri to make a run at the 2011 Championships in Rochester, Minnesota this April.

NCTTA Alum Profiled in Toastmasters Magazine
By Nancy Chen, Media Relations Committee

Former Texas Wesleyan team member and NCTTA board member Mike Meier was one of five profiled in the October 2010 edition of Toastmasters Magazine. Focusing on individuals who apply public speaking skills to sports, the article highlighted the use of Meier’s skills to excel at table tennis umpiring.

Boasting more than 260,000 members across 113 nations, Toastmasters International, is one of the leading organizations dedicated to advancing oral communication. Meier is a member of both the Texas Wesleyan Spellbinders and the Seoul Advanced Toastmasters Club.

When Meier started in Toastmasters hoping to become a better public speaker, he never anticipated how it would help him as a table tennis umpire. “Without all of the impromptu speaking training the past five years, maybe I would have cracked, said something stupid, or made a situation worse,” says Meier in reference to being faced with challenging situations on the court.

Even more importantly, Meier says that his speaking experience has given him an opportunity to help others, observing that “Toastmasters is a great place to help build up others and help them improve.”

Sponsor Corner
Special thanks to our sponsors, Newgy and Killerspin!

NCTTA, would like to thank Killerspin for its support of college table tennis. Killerspin is the exclusive NCTTA League and Championship Equipment sponsor through 2011. Member schools just need to fill out the Killerspin Premium Membership Program Application to receive phenomenal discounts. Browse all your favorite Killerspin equipment in the online Killerspin store.

Also, special thanks to NEWGY Industries, for its continued support of college table tennis. Newgy offers a great way to fundraise for your club and help out our sponsor as well by signing up and participating in their Newgy Robo Pong Affiliate Program.

Got an idea for a future story or newsletter topic? Email the NCTTA Media Relations Chair.

West Florida Player Scores Upset
By Andy Kanengiser, Media Relations Chair

NCTTA’s Dixie Division was abuzz when Kyle Angeles of West Florida played his best game and upset top-notch Mississippi College player Zhicheng “Johnson” Liang in Dixie Division competition last fall. The games were all close, but Angeles played solid defense and his offensive display was strong too, as he went on to win 3-1.

The Floridian was on fire that Saturday in Central Mississippi. “The match against Johnson was the best match I’ve played in my life,” said the Pensacola native.

Angeles, a 20-year-old information technology major at UWF, was familiar with Johnson’s game. He watched him battle Florida State star Andres Ng at an earlier tournament in his hometown of Pensacola. Angeles says his game has received a great boost from two coaches, Dr. Ronald Peters (a.k.a Dr. Chop) and Kil Yim. They helped him with spins, serves and pips.

Angeles, who is the vice president of the UWF Table Tennis Club, definitely brought his A-game to Clinton, Mississippi in October. He was undefeated at the regional tourney in the Magnolia State.

Five Cities Seek 2012 Championships

Two cities in North Carolina are in a battle with a New York bidder, one from Tennessee and another from North Texas. What is at stake? Just the right to host the 2012 College Table Tennis Championships. NCTTA leaders, players and coaches will be sizing up the five proposals in February as we search for the best site in America to welcome our games in April 2012.

We’re talking about proposals coming in from Asheville and Winston-Salem, the two North Carolina competitors, and others from Syracuse, NY, Memphis, TN and Denton, TX. The plans from the five cities are posted on the NCTTA website with tons of details about venues, hotels, transportation, attractions, seating capacity, and much more.

Not familiar with the 7,000-seat War Memorial Arena in Syracuse? That 34,500-square foot arena is also home to the Syracuse Crunch, an American Hockey League team. Meanwhile, the Winston-Salem Entertainment Sports Complex Annex seats about 3,500 fans. Winston-Salem, by the way, hosts the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference basketball championships in 2011.

If you want beautiful mountains, lots of history, plus a wealth of culture and attractive sports venues, take a look at Asheville, North Carolina. The city for generations has been a part of America’s minor league baseball scene. The North Carolina oasis is home to the University of North Carolina-Asheville and a mega mansion built for the Vanderbilt family.

What about Denton, Texas? The Denton Sports Commission is working with the University of North Texas and Lewisville CVB to come up with a proposal that aims to please. Located just north of Dallas, Denton has hosted USA gymnastics collegiate championships, junior golf association tournaments and many other things over the past decade.

When you think of Memphis, you may think Elvis, blues joints along Beale Street, and delicious barbecue. But the city is also a pretty fine sports town, home to the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies. The Memphis Cook Convention Center is the proposed venue for the 2012 Champs.

So thanks to Winston-Salem, Asheville, Syracuse, Memphis and Denton for submitting their plans. We know that whichever city hosts the 2012 championships will experience collegiate table tennis at its finest!

NCTTA Newsletter
March 2011

With the 2010-2011 regular season coming to a close and the 2011 Championships right around the corner, we've got lots of news this month. We've got recaps of spring competition from around the league, the list of Championships qualifiers is announced, and a great story about the Minnesota HS state champs.

Read on for all this and more ...

2011 Championships Qualifiers Announced

After months of competition, we finally have our field for the 2011 College Table Tennis Championships. That's right, the 24 best men's/coed and 16 best women's teams that have qualified for the main event April 15-17. It may be the strongest Championships field ever, and wildcard spots were especially tough to come by this season. Here's the list:

Minnesota Hosts 5th Annual HS State Championships
By Nancy Chen, Media Relations Committee

With the national championships approaching and college admissions decisions beginning to turn up, it’s time to start thinking about who will form the next generation of college table tennis stars.

Although there isn’t a national league for high school table tennis yet, some states have started organizing high school state championships, which are bringing together some of the top youth players in the state. One of the largest such events in the country is the Minnesota State High School Team Championships.

Initially an outgrowth of the interest of a handful of high school coaches and parents, the 2006 inaugural event had only 3 teams. With a record of seventeen co-ed teams and six girls’ teams from Minneapolis, Duluth, and Rochester participating, it’s fair to say the event has grown tremendously in its five year history.

This growth in high school table tennis involvement is encouraging on multiple levels, says Table Tennis Minnesota director Mitchell Seidenfeld.

Read more ...

Princeton Prevails in Tough Mid-Atlantic Division
By Andy Kanengiser, Media Relations Chair

Princeton (12-1) emerged from one of the toughest divisions in college table tennis to capture their 6th straight Mid-Atlantic Division title. With teams like No. 9 Maryland (11-2) and No. 17 Penn State (9-4) as division opponents, the Princeton Tigers accomplishments are even more remarkable.

After Princeton’s multi-time collegiate singles runner-up Adam Hugh moved on last season, few expected the team to continue its division dominance. But with a squad of outstanding players like Amaresh Sahu, Alden Fan, Tommy An, and Gabe Reder, and a No. 7 ranking Princeton proved too much for its division rivals.

Still, things weren’t quite as easy as past seasons. Princeton dropped a team contest to Maryland, 3-1 in the fall, but stormed back to go undefeated in spring competition, upending the division runner-up 4-0 in the rematch.

At the Mid-Atlantic competition directed by George Che, there were hotly contested matches throughout the day, including Maryland-Penn State. Penn State was led by Nittany Lion standouts Marcus Jackson and Alex Weiner, while Raghu Nadmichettu was solid for the Maryland Terps. Though Penn State prevailed 3-2 in that one, Maryland had the slightly better record for the season and earned a wildcard spot to the Championships.

On the women’s side, Drexel was the division winner and now heads to Minnesota for the national championships April 15-17. A couple of newcomers also showed up for the Mid-Atlantic competition: Rider of New Jersey and PSU Worthington Scranton.

Ottawa Captures Eastern Canada Division
By Andy Kanengiser, Media Relations Chair

Opponents of the University of Ottawa Table Tennis team are usually in double trouble.
That was the case again at the Eastern Canada regional tourney. Ottawa’s team is led by twin sisters Sara Yuen and Stephanie Yuen and they proved too much for their rivals. The sisters once played on the Canadian National Team. They’re blessed with talent and it showed.

The 3rd-ranked Ottawa squad had a hard fought battle with No. 8 Western Ontario, narrowly winning 11-9 in the 5th game of the doubles match. Despite the loss, Western Ontario still managed to qualify for a Championships wildcard spot by virtue of their team ranking.

On the women’s side, it was the University of Waterloo besting the University of Toronto to take the division title. Waterloo avenged a 3-2 loss to Toronto in the fall with a 4-0 rout in the spring competition.

Miss. College Wins 4th Straight Dixie Division Title
By Andy Kanengiser, Media Relations Chair

A blitz of Jackson TV stations showed up as No. 4 Mississippi College (10-0) kept its table tennis crown as the Dixie Division champs. Alabama-Huntsville (8-2) was the division runner-up; it’s only losses coming at the hands of Miss. College. Also competing were Southern Miss., Mississippi St., Alabama, and West Florida.

Jackson television stations WAPT-16, an ABC affiliate, and WJTV-12, the CBS affiliate, captured much of the action February 19th on the Mississippi College Campus. Reporters interviewed MC standouts like Captain Ken Qiu, Bill Cai, and Ben VanHorn after securing their 4th straight division title.

“Our players have been working hard all year,” Qiu said. “I was impressed. Everybody put in a strong effort.” In his fourth season since beginning the team in 2007 as the squad’s coach, recruiter, and architect, Qiu also put in a stellar performance. He defeated Alabama-Huntsville’s top player in 3 straight games as the hometown fans cheered him on.

Among the crowd were several top Mississippi College leaders including  President Lee Royce and his wife, Rhoda, international programs leaders Jim Brackenridge and his wife, Diana, and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Ron Howard. “How about that MC table tennis team!,” Howard said after the competition wound down. “This is wonderful.” Also there to cheer on their son was Wayne VanHorn, dean of the School of Christian Studies and the Arts, and his wife, Terri. A Christian Studies major, Ben VanHorn plans to follow in his dad’s footsteps and become a preacher.

Ohio State Tops Ohio-Michigan Division
By Andy Kanengiser, Media Relations Chair

Ohio State is among the nation’s elite when it comes to basketball and football. The Buckeyes won the Big Ten Conference basketball tournament on their route to a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament.

Not to be outdone, the No. 20 Ohio State table tennis team went undefeated in the Ohio-Michigan Division (14-0) to capture the men’s/co-ed division championship. It didn’t come easy, though. The OSU Buckeyes prevailed over No. 23 Michigan State (12-2), winning 3-2 with a doubles match that went the full five games. The competition also saw a strong showing by the No. 21 Michigan State Spartans women’s team that won their division.

Some wondered if the 15 teams would be able to make it to the competition at all. Bad winter weather forced the University of Akron to cancel classes and close the school 24 hours before the February 26th competition. But Akron folks like Dustin Ilko and Chris Painter at the school’s recreation center got up early and went to work to set up the tables. A special thanks to Dustin and Chris!

Eight schools participated – Akron, Case Western, Central Michigan, Michigan State, Oberlin, Ohio State, Miami of Ohio, and Ferris State. The college players even stuck around after the competition and bonded over a few extra challenge matches before heading home. During the event and afterwards, the players showed “enthusiasm, a level of skill and sportsmanship that made for an exciting spring competition,” said region director Andy McCarthy.

Rocky Mountain Division Gets First Taste of NCTTA Competition
By Nancy Chen, Media Relations Committee

NCTTA’s newest division in the Rocky Mountain area (see January newsletter) may have just recently completed its first NCTTA competition, but the division is already looking to add new teams for next season.

On February 19th, the Rocky Mountain Division’s first NCTTA competition was held at the Salt Lake City table tennis club. Brigham Young, Utah, Utah Valley, and Westminster College were all on hand to compete. The local newspaper, the Salt Lake Tribune, even highlighted the event for its readers. Utah, which competed in the Northern California Division last season, used its experience to overcome the competition, although several of the newcomers played competitive matches as well.

Wichita State Wows in Wichita
By Andy Kanengiser, Media Relations Chair

Some table tennis players drove for five hours through rain and fog to get there. But a little rain and fog are not going to stop die-hard college table tennis enthusiasts.

A total of four teams showed up as schools from Kansas and Nebraska battled it out for the NCTTA Kansas Division title. Thanks go out to the Wichita Table Tennis Club for donating a facility that was excellent for our favorite sport. There were eight tables and lots of goodies for visitors at the recent spring competition.

One more thing. Well, maybe two. When it was all said and done, Wichita State (6-0) emerged as the champions for the fourth year in a row. That’s quite a run. Some players stayed around to take on members of the Wichita club to add to a great day of table tennis.

Wichita State will soon pack their paddles and bags for the NCTTA’s championship games in Rochester, Minnesota April 15-17.

Baruch and Columbia Win NYC Division
By Andy Kanengiser, Media Relations Chair

In the heart of the Big Apple, Baruch College and Columbia were the big winners in collegiate table tennis action.

No. 12 Baruch (18-1) was No. 1 in the co-ed division and managed to repeat as New York City Division champions. And Ivy Leaguer Columbia prevailed in the women’s division in the NCTTA regional tourney, overcoming last year’s division champion Rutgers to take the 2010-2011 season title. As the women’s division runner-up, Rutgers also qualified for the Championships.

Felix Filozov, the NYC Division Director, reports the Stony Brook team (9-10) was down because a number of their top players graduated. NJIT (13-6) showed improvement and moved up to the 4th spot in the division. Columbia (17-2) finished second in the co-ed division, losing to Baruch College and NJIT after going undefeated in fall competition. Still, due to the size and strength of the division, Columbia’s co-ed team secured a qualification spot to the Championships.

Sponsor Corner
Special thanks to our sponsors, Newgy and Killerspin!

NCTTA, would like to thank Killerspin for its support of college table tennis. Killerspin is the exclusive NCTTA League and Championship Equipment sponsor through 2011. Member schools just need to fill out the Killerspin Premium Membership Program Application to receive phenomenal discounts. Browse all your favorite Killerspin equipment in the online Killerspin store.

Also, special thanks to NEWGY Industries, for its continued support of college table tennis. Newgy offers a great way to fundraise for your club and help out our sponsor as well by signing up and participating in their Newgy Robo Pong Affiliate Program.

Search for 2012 Championships Location Continues

After none of the 5 bids submitted for the 2012 Championships quite fit the needs and expectations of the event, NCTTA leaders opted to re-open the bidding process for 2012. Which means that the search for a home for the 2012 Championships continues. The new deadline for interested cities is April 22, 2011.

So if you know of a potential bidder for the NCTTA championships, please spread the word. We want the very best site for our collegiate table tennis players, coaches, fans, volunteers and other supporters across the USA and Canada. And with the April 22 deadline looming, convention & visitor bureaus and other city and school officials are being asked to host us for what should be a memorable experience in April 2012!

For cities interested in bidding:
1. First read the 2012 Championships Bidding Guidelines
2. Submit a completed 2012 Championships Bid Application
Deadline is April 22, 2011.

NCTTA Revamps League Structure for Continued Growth

We are very excited to announce some important changes in the NCTTA league structure that are coming next season (2011-2012).

College table tennis has been growing quite rapidly throughout the US and Canada. Which means more players, more member schools, and more NCTTA divisions. All good things. But the current rate of growth has also created some challenges within our current league structure, in terms of keeping divisions to a manageable size, keeping travel distances reasonable for teams, and making sure every team has a fair shot at qualifying to the national championships.

In the fall of 2010, NCTTA formed a Redevelopment Task Force to devise some steps that NCTTA could take to better accommodate this growth. We advertised participation in this task force to all of NCTTA and we were able to get input from athletes, coaches and division directors. The task force came up with a clear direction forward and several recommendations which were reviewed and adopted by the NCTTA Board of Directors.

What does this all mean? Well, the biggest change to expect in the 2011-2012 season is the introduction of Regional Competition. So instead of division winners qualifying directly to the national championships, starting next season the league will work like this:

Division Competition => Regional Competition => National Competition

Each region will consist of several divisions. We anticipate having between 5-7 regions starting in the 2011-2012 season with 3-4 divisions assigned to each region.

Read more ...

Got an idea for a future story or newsletter topic? Email the NCTTA Media Relations Chair.

NCTTA Newsletter
April 2011

With the 2011 Championships recently concluded, we've got the rundown on all the winners, some interesting profiles from the big event, plus find out which cities are interested in hosting the 2012 Championships.

Read on for all this and more ...

College Table Tennis Enjoys Growth Spurt
By Andy Kanengiser, Media Relations Chair

Collegiate table tennis is booming in North America. Trends show that’s the case and so does the stepped up competition at the 2011 National Championships in Minnesota.
Rest your paddles for a moment, and look at the numbers. In 2000, there were just 30 schools competing in NCTTA tournaments. When the 2010-2011 season wrapped up, there were 148 colleges and universities with table tennis teams in the USA and Canada.

One solid chunk of NCTTA turf is Eastern Canada. The region qualified four powerful top 15-ranked teams to the Championships in Rochester: the University of Ottawa, Toronto, Western Ontario and Waterloo. “Eastern Canada is developing into one of our strongest divisions,” says NCTTA President Willy Leparulo.

While our friends in the land of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and incredibly snowy winters are hot and rising to the top, let’s not forget perennial powerhouse Texas Wesleyan. The TWU Rams captured the coed and women’s team titles yet again in Rochester in mid-April, but the collegians from Fort Worth battled every inch of the way to get it done.

Just ask TWU coach Jasna Rather, who recently returned home to the Fort Worth campus after seeing the action up-close in Minnesota. “Competition at the Nationals is stronger every year, and we always try to recruit better players to compete for top places,” she said. Bringing new and talented players to TWU is a must for the Rams to stay on top. There’s “a thin line between many teams,” Jasna noted of the rising competition on college campuses.

Read more ...

Texas Wesleyan Reigns at 2011 Championships
Team Wins 8th Straight Men's/Coed Title, Recaptures Women's Title

Despite one of the strongest Championships fields in recent memory, there was a very familiar name atop the podium in Minnesota. Texas Wesleyan proved they were just that edge better than the rest to take the 2011 Men's/Coed Team and Women's Team titles.

Which is not to say they weren't tested. Their men's/coed team was pushed the distance by Ottawa in the semifinals and Lindenwood in the finals. Both team contests came down to doubles. On the women's side Texas Wesleyan defeated Lindenwood 3-1 in the final.

Here are the final team standings:

In the singles competition Sara Hazinski (Texas Wesleyan) repeated as Women's Singles Chanmpion, but Yanjun Gao (LaGuardia College) failed to do the same, exiting in the semifnals to Pierre-Luc Hinse (Ottawa). Instead Mark Hazinski, Sara's husband and teammate overcame Pierre-Luc Hinse in a thrilling 7-game match to take the title.

Here's the complete list of singles and doubles winners:

• Men's Singles: Mark Hazinski (Texas Wesleyan)
• Women's Singles: Sara Hazinski (Texas Wesleyan)
• Men's Doubles: Mark Hazinski/Yahao Zhang (Texas Wesleyan)
• Women's Doubles: Karin Fukushima/Leine Agata (Lindenwood)
• Mixed Doubles: Sara Hazinski/Mark Hazinski (Texas Wesleyan)

Check out the full set of Championships results, including draws, stories and news articles at the 2011 Championships website.

Championships Sponsors Help Make a Greate Event
Special thanks to all the organizations that supported the 2011 Championships!

NCTTA would like to thank Killerspin for its support of college table tennis. As the 2011 Championships equipment sponsor, Killerspin provided balls, nets and tables for the event. NCTTA member schools just need to fill out the Killerspin Premium Membership Program Application to receive phenomenal discounts. Browse all your favorite Killerspin equipment in the online Killerspin store.

Also, special thanks to NEWGY Industries, for its continued support of college table tennis. Newgy provided barriers for the 2011 Championships as well as robots for deserving players and teams.

Then of course there's the Rochester Amateur Spors Commission for hosting the event, and the Rochester Community and Technical College which made available a great facility for the event and supported the Championships throughout.

A few morethanks: the Kahler hotels for all their support as the official Championships hotel. And then there's Bilotti's Pizza, Hy-Vee Stores, andthe Center for Italian Studies at FSU.

And last, but certainly not least is America's Team Table Tennis Championship. If you haven't heard about it, it's fantastic 4-starteam-based table tennistournament taking place in Rockford, Illinois from May 28-29, 2011. Excellent playing conditions, great teamformat with a lot of matches, should attract a lot of good players as well. Register online by Friday May 20 if you're interested in participating.

Miss. College Player Wins Preaching Award
By Andy Kanengiser, Media Relations Chair

Mississippi College junior Ben VanHorn, who’s passionate about the game of table tennis, also can get fired up when delivering a sermon on the Clinton campus. The 21-year-old Christian Studies major received the Byrd Memorial Preaching Award at his Baptist-affiliated school in late March. The honor also comes with an $800 stipend to help with textbooks or other costs at Mississippi’s largest private university.

After receiving the honor on March 22, with hundreds of MC students looking on at First Baptist Church Clinton, VanHorn preached one of his best sermons. His message touched on the parable of the Good Samaritan.

A Clinton resident who’s a graduate of Clinton High, VanHorn is the only American-born player on a nationally ranked Mississippi College table tennis team dominated by natives of China. Ben made his first trip to the College Table Tennis Championships in April.

Following in his father’s footsteps, Ben plans to attend New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary after earning his MC bachelor’s degree in 2012. His father, Dr. Wayne VanHorn, is the dean of the MC School of Christian Studies and the Arts, and a former Baptist preacher at First Baptist Church in Columbia, Mississippi.

The VanHorns are often seen cheering on the MC Choctaws at NCTTA Dixie Division tournaments and each Thanksgiving, invite Mississippi College’s Chinese table tennis players to feast and celebrate friendships between the USA and China.

Governors Who?
Small Illinois College Has Big Dreams for its Table Tennis Program
By Joel Lidstrom, Championships Media Relations

Does Governors State, a small Illinois liberal arts college who qualified for their first NCTTA Championship this year, dare to dream of being the next Lindenwood University, let alone Texas Wesleyan?

GSU’s Executive Vice President Dr. Gebe Ejigu dares. He smiles broadly when asked if his school can challenge at the very highest levels. “Table tennis was our first sports program. Its rapid success has come from an exchange program that brings Chinese students for eighteen to twenty-four months in pursuit of a Master’s degree. The program has been in place for six years, but only recently we realized that we should look for students who are not just academically suitable, but talented table tennis players as well.”

Wait. A college whose first sports program was not football, not basketball, but table tennis? And prospective graduate students are vetted according to their table tennis prowess?

Read more ...

Championships Reunites Old Friends
By Kevin Li, NCTTA Media Relations Committee

Nancy Chen, computer science major from Harvard and also NCTTA Media Relations Committee member, returned home to Minnesota to play in the 2011 NCTTA National Championships. And ran into some old friends from her home state in the process.

Chen, you see, grew up in Minneapolis, MN about an hour away from Rochester, the site of this year’s championships. So it’s not surprising that the faces of several of the local players were pretty familiar. Take Anh Ngo, a student from Saint Mary’s University, who competed in the singles competition.

 “We grew up playing at the same table tennis club together,” says Chen. Meeting through the sport, they soon became friendly rivals as well as close friends. So when Ngo was matched up against Shimon Kolkowitz, one of Chen’s teammates, Chen said “I didn’t know who to cheer for!”

UF Gators Chew Up Florida Foes
By Andy Kanengiser, Media Relations Chair

Florida Gators always have lots of swagger when it comes to football or basketball in the Southeastern Conference. A Sweet 16 team in NCAA hoops this year, and a winner over Penn State in a football bowl a few months back, the Gators always bring it.

That’s true with the UF table tennis team, too. The Gators chewed up foes like Florida State, South Florida, North Florida and Daytona State in division competition in Orlando this spring, qualifying for their first trip to the NCTTA Championships since 2007. Seeded 18th overall, the team finished in 16th place at the 2011 Championships in Minnesota.

Top players for the diverse Gator team includes Yang Li, a graduate student who played the sport at Ren Min University of China. Dashiel Neimark, a Chicago native, and Nam Ngyuen of Vietnam finished with perfect 5-0 marks in regional play at UCF. Five of the six Florida players are playing in their first NCTTA season. Players who are newcomers include Nikita Ladyzhensky, a Floridian whose parents are both Russian. Kyle Moyant, the president of the UF team, is the player with prior college table tennis experience.

Two Cities Bid to Host 2012 Championships
New Orleans, LA and Plano, TX Vie for Next Year’s Event

After 4 years in the upper Midwest, the Championships seem poised to return to a warmer climate in 2012. While we don’t know yet which city will earn the right to host the event, two cities have put in bids: New Orleans, Louisiana and Plano, Texas.

Plano is located just north of Dallas, Texas with a population just shy of 300,000. Noted as one of the best places to live in the Western US by CNN’s Money magazine, Plano is no stranger to elite athletic competition either. The city is home to the World Olympic Gymnastics Academy which trained the 2004 and 2008 Olympic All-Around Champions, Carly Patterson and Nastia Liukin. The proposed competition venue is the Plano Sport Authority, featuring fourteen basketball courts encompassing 80,000 square feet of competition space.

Head about 500 miles east and you’ll get to the second city vying for the 2012 Championships. Nicknamed “The Big Easy” for its preponderance of speakeasies in the days of prohibition, New Orleans is well known for its big celebrations like Mardi Gras and the annual Jazz & Heritage Festival. The city is also a popular choice for big sporting events, having hosted the Super Bowl a record six times, and will host the NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four in 2012. The venue for the 2012 Collegiate Championships would be the Heath Club by Hilton which is located right on the Mississippi River and directly attached to the Hilton New Orleans Riverside Hotel.

Got an idea for a future story or newsletter topic? Email the NCTTA Media Relations Chair.

NCTTA Newsletter
May 2011

The college table tennis season may be winding down, but you'd never guess it from this month's newsletter. It's jam-packed with all kinds of good stuff you'll want to check out. Like what the regions will be for next season. Or where the 2012 Championships are going to be held. Or the 2010-2011 superlative award winners. Or the 2011 Championships videos. And that's only half of the stuff inside.

Read on for all this and more ...

NCTTA 2011-2012 Region Breakdown Announced
Divisions will feed into 6 NCTTA regions for the 2011-2012 season

Whether the organization is Google, NASA, the NCAA or the U.S. Postal Service, things don’t stay the same very long these days. Just pick up the newspaper in your hometown, tune into CNN, visit one of the USA’s major airports or go to your friendly neighborhood supermarket to do some grocery shopping and you will notice changes happening almost daily.

At NCTTA, we are talking change, and when all is said and done, believe it will be for the better. If you haven’t heard we are discussing ways to retool our 18 divisions and the qualification process leading up to the 2012 Championships.

Beginning with the 2011-2012 competition season, divisions will be grouped into regions, with top teams from regional competition advancing to the Championships. (Read more about the reasons for this change in the March newsletter).

We’re now pleased to announce the 6 regions for the 2011-2012 season and the assignments of divisions to those regions:

• South Region
  Divisions: Texas, Florida, Dixie, Georgia
• Great Lakes Region
  Divisions: Michigan, Northern Ohio, Upstate NY, Eastern Canada
• Midwest Region
  Divisions: Southern Ohio, Upper Midwest, Minnesota, Midwest, Kansas
• Mid-Atlantic Region
  Divisions: Carolina, Virginia, Midatlantic
• Northeast Region
  Divisions: New York City, New England
• West Region
  Divisions: Northern California, Northwest, Rocky Mountain, Southern California

It was definitely a challenge to come up with what we think is the optimal region breakdown, and of course it’s impossible to please everyone. And there may be some changes yet to a few divisions and division names to keep things balanced and consistent.

“We tried take several factors into account in forming the regions,” said Chris Wang, NCTTA Division Director Representative, who spearheaded the effort. Geographic distance of the schools in the region, number of schools in each region and overall strength of each region were all taken into account.

“We even looked at the potential for future growth in each region,” says Wang. The task force looked at a variety of models and considered a number of different possibilities before settling on the current regions. “It was a balancing act,” Wang points out. “There’s no such thing as a perfect region breakdown, but in the end we have something we think will work well for next season.”

NCTTA 2012 Championships Booked for Texas
By Andy Kanengiser, Media Relations Chair

Sports attractions in the Lone Star State stretch from the Dallas Cowboys in the NFL to the Texas Rangers in Major League Baseball. Just added to the list: the 2012 College Table Tennis Championships.

Not long after wrapping up the 2011 Championships in Minnesota, NCTTA leaders voted to select Plano, Texas as the site of the 2012 games in mid-April. Plano and New Orleans competed to host the big-time tournament.

In case you don’t have a map or a clue, Plano is located about eight miles north of downtown Dallas. It is the home of 40,000-student Collin College, the home of the NJCAA men’s tennis championship. Plano may be familiar turf for longtime NCTTA players. Perennial NCTTA powerhouse Texas Wesleyan hosted the championship games in 2005 and 2006 in Fort Worth, Texas, also part of the Dallas metro area.

“We had a great experience at Texas Wesleyan a few years back, and expect an equally strong welcome in nearby Plano, Texas,” says NCTTA President Willy Leparulo. “We are excited to say let the games begin in Texas in 2012!”

If you ever get bored at the NCTTA tourney in Plano, there’s much to do in the city of more than 222,000 people. The North Texas city is home to the South Fork ranch that was the place where the popular TV series “Dallas” was filmed back in the day. Plano hosts the largest hot air balloon show in Texas. There’s a wonderful art gallery at Collin College for art lovers to check out. Plano is also big on economic development, being home to 15 Fortune 500 companies.

Many thanks to both Plano, Texas and New Orleans, Louisiana for putting in solid bids. For more information about Plano, Texas, visit the Plano Convention and Visitor’s Bureau website or take time to read about the Plano bid on the NCTTA website.

2011 Superlative Award Winners Announced
Pierre-Luc Hinse (Ottawa) and Karin Fukushima (Lindenwood) are season's most outstanding players

It was a great season of college table tennis with many great performances all year. But in the end a few stood above the rest:

• Male Athlete of the Year: Pierre-Luc Hinse (Ottawa)
• Female Athlete of the Year: Karin Fukushima (Lindenwood)
• Rookie of the Year: Yahao Zhang (Texas Wesleyan)
• Coach of the Year: Sam Huang (ottawa)
• Rookie Team of the Year: Dordt College
• Most Improved Team: Western Ontario
• Division Director of the Year: Lillian Yu (Eastern Canada)

Each winner will receive a Killerspin gift certificate. Be sure to check out the rest of the newsletter for profiles of many of these teams and individuals.

Sponsor Corner
Please support our sponsors, they make college table tennis possible!

NCTTA would like to thank Killerspin for its support of college table tennis. As the 2011 Championships equipment sponsor, Killerspin provided balls, nets and tables for the event. NCTTA member schools just need to fill out the Killerspin Premium Membership Program Application to receive phenomenal discounts. Browse all your favorite Killerspin equipment in the online Killerspin store.

Also, special thanks to NEWGY Industries, for its continued support of college table tennis. Newgy provided barriers for the 2011 Championships as well as robots for deserving players and teams.

Dordt College: NCTTA Rookie Team of the Year
By Andy Kanengiser, Media Relations Chair

A newcomer in the world of collegiate table tennis, Dordt College is making waves in Iowa in its rookie season.

While the 1,300-student school in Sioux Center didn’t make it to the national championships in Minnesota in mid-April, folks at NCTTA headquarters are spotlighting the Dordt College team for a job well done. Recently, the NCTTA saluted Dordt with its Rookie Team of the Year award.

Dordt plays in the Minnesota Division against stiff table tennis competition, including much-bigger schools like the University of Minnesota. “The Dordt players showed a great deal of progress and promise in year one,” says NCTTA President Willy Leparulo. “We expect they will continue to shine in their second season.”

Associated with the Christian Reformed Church, Dordt College was founded in 1955 and today “welcomes all students who are interested in a biblical Christ-centered education,” says the school’s website. The Iowa school is an hour’s drive from Sioux City, Iowa, and Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Its students come from 30 states, 13 nations and six Canadian provinces.

We contacted Dordt table tennis team member Michael Gorter and the junior accounting and finance major was elated to receive the new award in recognition of their outstanding rookie season in Iowa.

“We loved being part of the NCTTA this year,” says Gorter, who hails from Ridgewood, New Jersey.

Read more ...

Valdosta State Road Warriors Play in Pensacola
By Andy Kanengiser and Willy Leparulo, NCTTA Media Relations Chair

Pine trees are an important part of the landscape in South Georgia for cities like Valdosta. Crops like pecans, peanuts and tobacco also dominate in the region’s many farm communities.

So when Valdosta State University’s table tennis team recently traveled five-plus hours to
Pensacola, Florida with its sparkling white beaches, high-rise condos and giant Navy base, it was like going to a different world for the six VSU players. Despite being a few miles from the warm Gulf breezes in the Sunshine State, the Valdosta State team felt at home playing in a tournament hosted by the Pensacola Table Tennis Club.

It was another terrific event in late April sponsored by the club and its award-winning president LA Johnston. The avid table tennis player never tires of putting on activities to promote charities. This time, LA put on a top-notch tournament to benefit Pensacola’s Relay for Life, one of many activities across the USA to help combat cancer.

Teams from Valdosta State, Florida State University and the University of West Florida were part of the table tennis action that weekend, with about three dozen players playing their favorite sport.

Read more ...

Lillian Yu: NCTTA Division Director of the Year
By Andy Kanengiser, NCTTA Media Relations Chair

Eastern Canada’s rapid rise to the top tier of collegiate table tennis circles in North America is well-documented.

With four of the division’s seven teams ranked in the NCTTA Top 25, the division is perhaps the strongest in the land. The division’s top powerhouse is the University of Ottawa with its third-place finish in the men’s/coed team event at the 2011 Championships.

All this success didn’t happen by accident. At NCTTA headquarters, we believe Lillian Yu, the director of the Eastern Canadian Division, deserves much of the credit for making her region among the very best. She’s worked hard and moved mountains since the division’s birth a little more than a year ago.

“Lillian is one of those exciting individuals who just loves collegiate table tennis,” says NCTTA President Willy Leparulo. “There’s no denying she’s good at what she does.”

Colleges in Eastern Canada used to be part of the Upstate New York Division, but became a separate entity with Lillian Yu at the helm. Now an auditor in Canada, Lillian was a star
player in NCTTA competition, including the 2009 Championships, during her days as a student-athlete. “I knew that having an alum like her in a new division was going to be a great asset for the organization,” Leparulo said. “We love our Canadian neighbors!”

Lillian has done much with little financial support from schools in Canada.

Read more ...

NCTTA Connections Boost Miss. Senior Olympics
By Andy Kanengiser, NCTTA Media Relations Chair

Home court advantage is always a plus, no matter what the sport. A good case in point was in May when Oklahoma City, led by Kevin Durant’s 39 points, knocked off the Memphis Grizzlies on the Thunder’s home turf in the decisive Game 7 of their NBA series.

Home court also didn’t hurt a bit for several in-state participants in the Mississippi Senior Olympics that wrapped up with a number of events like track & field and table tennis
on May 13 at Mississippi College and basketball on May 14, also on the MC campus in Clinton.

The events attracted about 300 senior athletes to various sites in Clinton, and other communities in metro Jackson in Central Mississippi. Some of the men and women ignored the $4 per gallon gas prices and drove from as far away as Missouri, Tennessee, and Louisiana to take part in the fun games in the Magnolia State.

Again this year, there were plenty of NCTTA connections to the Mississippi Senior Olympics. Dixie Division Director Herb Bennett, who ran the table tennis tournament for seniors, also walked off with a gold medal for his 50-something age group. He got help from Mississippi College Table Tennis Captain Ken Qiu, who set up and put away the tables at Alumni Gym. That’s the university’s old basketball gym where the MC Choctaws’ 5th place nationally ranked team practices during the season.

The Senior Games in Clinton were a nice tune-up for Bennett, who travels to Houston, Texas to compete in the 2011 National Senior Games in late June. Bennett, the longtime leader, architect and mentor of the University of Southern Mississippi table tennis team, still knows how to play his favorite sport. He’s made the 90-mile drive from Hattiesburg to Mississippi College many times before in recent years to run the NCTTA’s Dixie Division tournaments at the university’s Baptist Healthplex.

Read more ...

Western Ontario: Most Improved Table Tennis Team
By Andy Kanengiser, NCTTA Media Relations Chair

Good news is happening all over campus for the University of Western Ontario. In early May, four Mustangs were good enough to get selected in the 2011 Canadian Football League draft. Around the same time, the university announced the three winners of its Western Humanitarian Awards for making a significant difference on campus and around the globe.

The honors keep coming. Following the conclusion of the 2010-2011 competition season, NCTTA leaders recognized Western Ontario for having the most improved collegiate table tennis team in the USA and Canada. Last year, the award went to Florida State University.
Cyrus Aga, captain of the Western Ontario Table Tennis Team, is proud of the incredible progress made since he joined the squad in 2008.

Three years ago, “our club was not even a sports team. It was part of the university campus clubs with two broken recreational tables and practices held once a week on the third floor of our community center. We averaged practice once a month and were barely considered a club,” Aga said.

A table tennis lover and dedicated athlete, Aga wasn’t going to stand for the status quo “I was intent on turning table tennis not only into one of the biggest sports teams at Western, but to turn it into an official Mustang varsity sport.”

Read more ...

Portland State Volunteers at Local Elementary School
By Willy Leparulo, NCTTA Media Relations Committee

Who says community service is only for convicts? Certainly not NCTTA.

As a 100% volunteer-based organization, we definitely understand the importance of giving back, contributing one’s time and effort for the benefit of others.

And so does the Portland State table tennis team, which recently volunteered to teach table tennis to children at a local Portland, Oregon elementary school.

Portland State coach Sean O’Neill had been volunteering at an after school program where his daughter attends, when he decided to invite the “big kids” from Portland State over to help out. Although it’s a busy time of year on campus, with students completing various projects, studying for finals, and getting ready for summer internships, several students from Portland State managed to find time to volunteer.

“We wanted to get kids introduced to table tennis so we could create awareness of the game,” says Shubham Chopra, President of the Portland State Table Tennis Club. Community service is definitely encouraged and appreciated at Portland State, but Chopra notes that “of the 25 odd sports and recreational clubs in Portland State University’s Campus Recreation program there are only about 4 clubs who have done any community service.”

Well, we're proud to count Portland State table tennis among them. Kudos to the team for helping out!

Sam Huang of Ottawa: Coach of Year
By Andy Kanengiser, NCTTA Media Relations Chair

For all the hard work to push the Ottawa's men’s/coed team to garner the NCTTA’s No. 3 ranking to end the 2010-2011 season, Ottawa’s Sam Huang was named coach of the year.

It’s quite an honor, says Huang, who has served as club president for the past two years. The player/coach/manager returns again as president next season with one goal in mind. He’s not reaching for the stars. He believes Ottawa’s coed team and women’s team are well on their way to winning national championships. And it can happen for Ottawa in 2012, he says.

Playing and losing close games to Texas Wesleyan at the 2011 Nationals in Minnesota was quite an experience for Ottawa. But this Ottawa club in the Eastern Canadian Division is a team on the rise. This summer, fall and next spring, they want to climb a few more notches.

It’s only May, but Huang wishes the next few months fly by. “I really cannot wait to start next season,” he says. As for next year, Huang hopes to bolster the Ottawa team with the addition of one or two female players who are on the Canadian National team.

His life doesn’t completely revolve around table tennis. A senior who is a biotechnology major, Sam is considering going into a medical-related field after earning his degree. He’s keeping an open mind on his future. Born in Beijing, China, Sam Huang immigrated to Canada at the age of 11. He first got interested in table tennis as boy in China. Sam also enjoys a good game of billiards. But table tennis on the NCTTA circuit is by far his favorite sport. “It’s a chance to meet new people who have a common interest,” he says.

While NCTTA are delighted to say thanks to Sam Huang for a job well done at his school in Canada, the Ottawa coach returns the love. Sam says he really appreciates National Collegiate Table Tennis Association officials for lots of help along the way.

Championships Photos and Videos

Check out some of the great photos and videos from the 2011 Championships that are posted online:

• Womens Singles Semifinals (VIDEO):
  Sara Hazinski (Texas Wesleyan) vs. Karin Fukushima (Lindenwood)
  Tina Chen (Texas Wesleyan) vs. Ines Perhoc (Texas Wesleyan)
• Men's Singles Semifinals (VIDEO):
  Mark Hazinski (Texas Wesleyan) vs. Paulo Rocha (Lindenwood)
  Pierre-Luc Hinse (Ottawa) vs. Yanjun Gao (LaGuardia College)
• Women's Singles Final (VIDEO):
  Sara Hazinski (Texas Wesleyan) vs. Ines Perhoc (Texas Wesleyan)
• Men's Singles Final (VIDEO):
  Mark Hazinski (Texas Wesleyan) vs. Pierre-Luc Hinse (Ottawa)
• Photo Gallery

We're still processing and uploading all the photos and videos, so more will be posted in the coming weeks. Be sure to subscribe to the NCTTA YouTube Channel for all the updates.

Got an idea for a future story or newsletter topic? Email the NCTTA Media Relations Chair.

NCTTA Newsletter
June 2011

In this month's newsletter we've got the scoop on great scholarship opportunities, some profiles of students in the class of 2011, a table tennis podcast featuring college table tennis, plus all the details on the upcoming US Open.

Read on for all this and more ...

NCTTA Scholarship Program Enters 4th Year
By Andy Kanengiser, Media Relations Chair

FREE MONEY for collegiate table tennis players!!

Did we get your attention? That’s the idea. With the price of everything from gas to college textbooks skyrocketing, NCTTA wants to put some money in your pocket. All you got to do is love the game of table tennis, make good grades, write an essay and apply.

Sounds easy, doesn’t it. For the last three years, thanks to some generous support from Newgy Industries, the NCTTA Scholarship Program has been rewarding stellar student athletes for their work both in the classroom and on the table. The NCTTA scholarship committee measures players in terms of their skills at the game, academic performance, their essays and financial need.

Think you’ve got what it takes? Better hurry, the application deadline is August 15, 2011.

2010-2011 scholarship recipients included Yuliang "Bill" Cai (Miss. College), Nancy Chen (Harvard), Ye Hu (Wisconsin), and Stephanie Shih (Columbia). We look forward to announcing the 2011-2012 winners in September. And we want to thank Newgy Industries for teaming up with the NCTTA to make the scholarship program a success year after year.

At the same time, we want to make a pitch to folks around the USA and Canada to make contributions to the scholarship fund. Such gifts are tax deductible and are a great way to promote college table tennis. With your support we can expand our scholarship offerings and help ensure the long-term viability of the program. So make a donation today!

NCTTA Filling Key Committee Slots
Interested volunteers needed to fill 13 different committees

NCTTA is looking for people with a passion for table tennis who want to lend us a hand. If you like to write, help us with marketing efforts, work with the athletes with disabilities or do other things to make our sport grow, we want to hear from you this summer.

We have about a dozen committees where we can put your talents to good use. In recent weeks, we’ve been hearing from a number of folks who want to serve. Abe Benham, who heads our Virginia Division, is now signed up to lead our Disabled Athletes Committee. Another division leader, this one on the West Coast, wants to step up what he’s doing for the NCTTA. Kevin Li, the director of the Northern California Division, wants to step up his NCTTA involvement by joining with the organization’s Media Committee.

There are more names that have come to our attention recently. Sam Hart, a player on the Dordt College team in Iowa, wants to help with our marketing efforts. Nicholas Poku is interested in assisting with media and marketing.

That’s a good start, but it’s not nearly enough. With lots of committees to fill, and a growing organization adding new divisions and regions, we need all the help we can get. We are also seeking to add more folks to NCTTA leadership posts, including new regional directors, so please let us know what you can bring to the table.

So if you have a few hours to spare, the energy and talent to help collegiate table tennis grow, take a look at the list of committees, and drop us an email to let us know which you might be able to help with:

• Media Relations Committee
• Marketing Committee
• Financial Committee
• Championships Committee
• Women’s Committee
• Rules and Audit Committee
• Coaching Committee
• Disabled Athletes Committee
• Recruitment Committee
• Ratings Committee
• Website Development Committee
• Eligibility Committee
• Alumni Relations Committee

We look forward to hearing from you and making our future even brighter!

Table Tennis Podcast on iTunes
NCTTA alum hosts table tennis-themed podcast

NCTTA is on iTunes!

Don't miss The Pongcast, a table tennis-focused a podcast covering a variety of table tennis news and topics. The Pongcast was created by Jason Liem, former NCTTA player from the University of Florida. The first week's show includes an interview with NCTTA President, Willy Leparulo. Check it out!

Congrats to NCTTA Class of 2011
By Andy Kanengiser, Media Relations Chair

All the hard work playing table tennis and the long hours hitting the books are paying dividends. Now it’s off to graduate school or joining the workforce for many members of the Class of 2011.

At NCTTA headquarters we want to say congrats for getting those college degrees, while playing your favorite sport on the planet. Some of the newly minted college graduates are really going places. Starting with the June newsletter, we want to profile a few of the new grads and NCTTA alumni who are taking a different road. One of them is Florida State University graduate Jon Valdez a.k.a. Jon the Penholder.

A native of Lutz, Florida near Tampa, Lutz is now living in China. It’s the huge country in Asia where table tennis is the national sport, a land where table tennis training camps are common and where great players are practically born with paddles in their tiny hands. For four years, Jon played on the FSU Seminoles table tennis team. In 2009-2010, the FSU team was recognized as the most improved team in NCTTA ranks, and he was a part of that superb squad in Tallahassee.

As an FSU freshman, Jon switched from the shakehand grip to the penhold version. As the Chinese, who invented the grip, were abandoning it in droves, Jon decided to embrace it. Guess you could say he’s not afraid to buck the trends. After all he is a Florida guy who loves Asian culture, society and sports.

Read more ...

Sponsor Corner
Please support our sponsors, they make college table tennis possible!

NCTTA would like to thank Killerspin for its support of college table tennis. As the 2011 Championships equipment sponsor, Killerspin provided balls, nets and tables for the event. NCTTA member schools just need to fill out the Killerspin Premium Membership Program Application to receive phenomenal discounts. Browse all your favorite Killerspin equipment in the online Killerspin store.

Also, special thanks to NEWGY Industries, for its continued support of college table tennis. Newgy is a long-time supporter of college scholarships through the NCTTA Scholarship Program (see more information, including how to apply in above story).

USATT Offers Graduating Students Membership Discounts
By Andy Kanengiser, NCTTA Media Relations Chair

Fast-food chain restaurants around the USA offer $1 value meal items. Senior citizen discounts abound. And it’s cheaper for movie fans to hit the theaters in the afternoon.

Likewise, the USATT has a deal for graduating NCTTA players. It’s basically two year membership that works out to about 50 percent off regular membership rates. And these days, with rising food and fuel prices and costs, this is a good deal you want to check out.

“The 50 percent off pricing means that it’s a great introductory deal for students that have never joined USATT,” says David Del Vecchio, an NCTTA board member. And with only about 17% of college table tennis players having played in a USATT tournament before entering college, we’re pretty sure that’s a lot of you. “It’s even a good deal for existing college members. With mountains of college debt and entry-level salaries, graduating students understandably tend to be very cost conscious,” observes Del Vecchio.

Let’s boil it down to dollars and cents. Instead of paying what would be $74 for a two-year USATT membership, the price is chopped to $37, only for graduating students from any NCTTA member school. And there are about 150 NCTTA schools in the USA and Canada.

So what do you get for your USATT membership? Member benefits include a subscription to a bi-monthly USATT magazine, participation in tournaments nationwide, and a national ranking/rating. Members also get to vote in USATT elections, and receive a copy of the official laws of table tennis. And you get to be a card-carrying member of a pretty neat organization. USATT is the national governing body of table tennis.

“After college, for players that want to continue playing organized table tennis, membership in USA Table Tennis is the best opportunity to do this,” says Del Vecchio, a University of Virginia alumnus.

Pensacola Tourney Attracts College Players
By Andy Kanengiser, Media Relations Chair

Mississippi College’s No. 1 player Yang Yu knocked off Carlos Ko from Albany, Georgia in the finals of the Pensacola tournament just a few miles from the sparkling white beaches of the Florida Panhandle.

In an amazing match, the highly rated Yu lost game one, but the native of China rallied to win three straight at the June 11 event. The 25-year-old MBA student from MC took care of business and headed back to the Magnolia State with a nice trophy. Yu, who hails from Meizhou, China, has played the game for 18 seasons. Standing 6’3”, Yu is one of the main reasons why Mississippi College landed in 5th place at the 2011 Championships in April.

Players from colleges in Florida, Mississippi, and Alabama were among those making the trip to Pensacola for the Saturday tournament sponsored by the Pensacola Table Tennis Club and its ever gracious host, club president L.A. Johnston.

Top-notch collegiate players from NCTTA schools like MC, West Florida, Florida State, and Southern Miss have often attended Johnston’s tourneys in recent years. A couple of months ago, players from Valdosta State University in Georgia made the long journey to Pensacola with paddles in hand. VSU even came to the event decked out in new uniforms.

Read more ...

Table Tennis Lands Businessweek Coverage
By Andy Kanengiser

Earlier this month, 24 million hoops fans tuned into to the NBA Finals to see Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks defeat LeBron James and the Miami Heat in 6 games. Ratings for the finals were up with fans spending big bucks on their favorite sport. They’re buying team jerseys, tickets and other stuff to make the NBA a huge business year after year.

Table tennis may not quite be at that level yet, but it’s getting there.

To read up on the latest on the tends, check out the May 9-May 15, 2011 issue of Bloomberg Businessweek. It’s loaded with info that speaks to the table tennis renaissance. The two-page magazine story says there are an estimated 19.45 million recreational players in the USA, a 53 percent increase over the last decade. The magazine gets the figure from the Silver Spring, Maryland-based Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association (SGMA). And according to the SGMA survey, more than half have annual incomes exceeding $75,000.

President Obama likes to play table tennis. So does businessman Warren Buffet, and Susan Sarandon, the actress whose table tennis franchises operate in New York, Milwaukee and Toronto.

The magazine also states that the game is a great way to build lasting connections in the corporate world. Combine that with a college education from some of the country’s best universities and college table tennis alumni should be poised to take the business world by storm.

US Open in Milwaukee Attracts Table Tennis Fans
By Andy Kanengiser, NCTTA Media Relations Chair

You’re a superb table tennis player or fan of the Olympic sport and want to have a great time this summer. The perfect solution is to jump into a car or hop a plane to Milwaukee, Wisconsin for the 2011 US Open. It’s not a bad way to spend a few vacation days if you have the time and a few bucks to spare.

The June 30 - July 4 event at the Frontier Airlines Center will attract 700 top-notch table tennis players from 25 nations, including Belarus, Brazil, Germany, South Korea, Ireland, Israel, the USA, and, of course, China. The titans of table tennis will be playing on more than 100 tables as they show off their spins and slams.

There are some key NCTTA connections to all of this. Linda Leaf, the fabulous director of the NCTTA’s Upper Midwest Division, is serving as the contact person on the US Open Milwaukee Local Organizing Committee. For more information on this major event, Linda is the one to reach.

For table tennis lovers, the US Open is akin to paradise. Also held alongside the event is the 2011 US Para Table Tennis Open from July 1-3, so check that out, too. The table tennis club SPiN Milwaukee is one of the US Open’s major sponsors.

Ok after seeing so much table tennis, you want to get out and experience some fun stuff to do in Milwaukee. There’s much on the plate away from the nets. Check out the Harley-Davidson Museum if you love motorcycles. There’s also Summerfest, the world’s largest music festival that’s seen star performers like Tom Petty and Tim McGraw on stage in recent years. Or if you’re into art, the place to see is the Milwaukee Art Museum with a neat exhibit on China this summer. The museum will also be host to a Ping Pong Diplomacy 40th Anniversary exhibition and dinner on July 1.

Got NCTTA Reorganization Questions?
Then we've (hopefully) got answers

Got any questions about NCTTA's reorganization plans for next season? How the whole regional structure and competitions will work? What will happen to your division? How championships qualification works?

Whatever your questions are, send them to info@... by July 8, 2011.

We'll compile answers to everyone's questions and publish them in a future newsletter so everyone can learn more about what's coming up next season. So send those questions our way!

Got an idea for a future story or newsletter topic? Email the NCTTA Media Relations Chair.

NCTTA Newsletter
July 2011

Just because it's the middle of the summer, doesn't mean there's no college table tennis news. There's lots going on, from the NCTTA scholarship program, to an explanation of how singles will work in the league organization, to the college table tennis presence at the US Open, we've got it all covered.

Read on for all this and more ...

2011-2012 Preseason Ranking Survey
Answer a few quick questions about your team to be included in the preseason rankings

Want to know how your team stacks up for the upcoming season? Just fill out the preseason rankings survey below to help us preview the fall competition and put together the most accurate possible preseason rankings.

Teams that do not reply to this survey will NOT be included in the Preseason Rankings.
Please send email to info@... by August 15th with your name, school/team (coed or women’s) and answers to these questions:

1. Which players that competed for your team in the 2010-2011 season will be returning to compete in the upcoming 2011-2012 season?
2. Do you know of any new players that will be joining your team and participating in the upcoming season? If so, what are their estimated ratings?
3. What is your projected team roster for the upcoming season?
4. Do you currently have or do you plan on recruiting a coach for the upcoming season?
5. How many non-NCTTA tournaments does your team plan to attend during the upcoming year?
6. In terms of practice space and time for the 2011-2012 season, do you anticipate having more, less or the same amount as in years past?

Best of luck to all teams competing in the upcoming season!

League Reorganization Update: Singles Competition

A few people have asked about how singles competition will work in the new NCTTA league structure.

It’s fairly simple. Basically singles competition will follow the same basic pattern as team competition:

Division Competition => Regional Competition => National Competition

Each division will hold a division singles competition at some point during the competition season. This will typically be held in the spring and could be the same weekend as one of the team meets or on a different weekend depending on what makes the most sense for that division. Any eligible player from an NCTTA member school can participate in the division singles competition. Players from non-NCTTA schools wishing to participate in the singles competition can join as transitional NCTTA members prior to the competition.

The top singles finishers from each division will qualify to one of the six Regional Championships in the spring. The Regional Championship will include both team and singles competition and the top singles finishers here (plus a handful of wildcards) will qualify for the National Championships in April.

That’s about it! Stay tuned to next month’s newsletter for the updated NCTTA rules, including the number of teams and singles players that qualify from each division and region.

NCTTA Scholarship Deadline is August 15th
By Andy Kanengiser, Media Relations Chair

We want to put money in your pocket and it won’t cost you a dime!

All you’ve got to do is apply, and the August 15th deadline is just around the corner. That’s right, step up folks and welcome to the nifty NCTTA Scholarship program. It’s quite a deal, and now in its fourth year.

With college textbooks soaring, campus food prices rising, dorm costs skyrocketing and gas prices topping $3 per gallon, we have an excellent scholarship program that will help lower school costs. The NCTTA’s scholarship program is your ticket to doing just that.

NCTTA has a superb team with Newgy Industries to make these scholarships happen year after year. Thanks so much to Newgy Industries!

In awarding scholarships we look at such factors as a college table tennis player’s academic smarts, love of the game, essays, and financial aid. The 2010-2011 scholarship winners included Bill Cai of Mississippi College, Nancy Chen of Harvard, Ye Hu of Wisconsin, and Stephanie Shih of Columbia.

NCTTA Seeks Six Regional Directors for 2011-2012
By Andy Kanengiser, Media Relations Chair

HELP WANTED: NCTTA seeks to hire six new regional directors for the 2011-2012 season.

In case you missed the news, or didn’t catch it on Facebook or on the NCTTA website, we are seeking to hire a half-dozen of the best regional directors we can find as the 2011-2012 season approaches.

It’s an opportunity people with a love of collegiate table tennis to take us to another level as a major NCTTA league reorganization moves forward. We are counting on NCTTA players, fans, coaches, division directors and others to help us build the applicant pool. Regional directors will be working closely with division directors in three to six divisions to plan and coordinate regional championships before the April 2012 championship games in Plano, Texas. The new directors will be given a budget to oversee for their region.

We are recruiting regional directors for the following regions:

• South Region (Texas, Dixie, Georgia, Panhandle, South/Central Florida)
• Great Lakes Region (Michigan, Northern Ohio, Upstate NY, Eastern Canada 1 & 2)
• Midwest Region (Southern Ohio, Upper & Lower Midwest, Minnesota, Kansas)
• Mid Atlantic Region (Carolina, Virginia, DC, Atlantic, Jersey Shore)
• Northeast Region (NYC Metro, Tri-State, New England 1 & 2)
• West Region (Northern California, Northwest, Rocky Mountain, Southern California)

Who qualifies for this assignment? We're looking for current and former division directors (or people with equivalent experience), folks who are USATT certified referees (or looking to become certified), and people who are equipped with good time management skills. Being able to stay calm in the occasional stressful situation will be an asset, too.

U.S. Open Attracts College Table Tennis Family
By Willy Leparulo, NCTTA President and Andy Kanengiser, NCTTA Media Relations Chair

It was a beautiful homecoming for NCTTA family and friends this summer as our gang of collegiate table tennis lovers poured into Milwaukee for the 2011 U.S. Open.

USATT’s premier competition at the Frontier Airlines Center from June 30 through July 5 indeed was fantastic. But almost as good as the ferocious slams and fabulous spins was seeing all the college table tennis folks between the games.

Among the sea of visitors was NCTTA President Willy Leparulo, who walked almost every inch of the center as the goodwill ambassador of collegiate table tennis. But the Florida State graduate had lots of company from people in NCTTA circles literally stretching from California to New York.

In case you missed the fun, we wanted to toss out a few tidbits from the big-time event in Wisconsin. There’s so much to cover and so little time. For starters, Adam Bobrow, the NCTTA’s Southern California division director, did a terrific job as he worked the microphone announcing during the tournament’s semi-finals and finals. NCTTA alumnus Mike Bernhard proved invaluable as one of the volunteer coordinators for the U.S. Open.

When the event was announced last year, reports said the U.S. Open would produce a $1.3 million economic impact on the Milwaukee area.

Read more ...

Sponsor Corner
Please support our sponsors, they make college table tennis possible!

NCTTA would like to thank Killerspin for its support of college table tennis. As the 2011 Championships equipment sponsor, Killerspin provided balls, nets and tables for the event. NCTTA member schools just need to fill out the Killerspin Premium Membership Program Application to receive phenomenal discounts. Browse all your favorite Killerspin equipment in the online Killerspin store.

Also, special thanks to NEWGY Industries, for its continued support of college table tennis. Newgy is a long-time supporter of college scholarships through the NCTTA Scholarship Program (see more information, including how to apply in above story).

Lindenwood Graduate Nicholas Poku Gives Back to College Table Tennis
By Andy Kanengiser, NCTTA Media Relations Chair

Nicholas Poku vividly remembers the chilly day in 1995 when he exited an airplane on
American soil at New York’s Kennedy airport.

It seemed like the coldest day of his life when he moved to the USA. The Ghana native never experienced such freezing winter temperatures and powerful winds back home in West Africa. It’s a good thing for collegiate table tennis and the NCTTA that life in America warmed up for Poku.

Fast forward to the sweltering days of summer in the USA when temperatures often climb to the 100- degree mark or close to it in much of the South and other regions of the nation. In early July, we are pleased to report that Poku, a Lindenwood University graduate and splendid table tennis player at the Missouri school, is assisting the NCTTA’s marketing and media relations committees.

It’s a perfect fit for Poku, a graphic designer and artist. Call it payback time for a sport he loves. A table tennis scholarship helped pay for the bulk of his college costs at Lindenwood. He managed to play well enough to take trips to the College Table Tennis Championships in 2009 and 2011, both in Rochester, Minnesota. Poku was also a big help to our staff in providing photo coverage of the games in April 2011.

“The least I can do is give back to the sport,” Poku says.

Read more ...

Canada’s Top College Players Compete in 2011 Summer Universiade
By Andy Kanengiser, Media Relations Chair

We treasure our fabulous collegiate table tennis players from Canada. Year after year, dynamic players from schools like the University of Ottawa and the University of Toronto shine in NCTTA competition.

In August, six of the very best will compete in China as they represent Canada. At the 26th Summer Universiade in Shenzhen, China, three players with NCTTA connections will participate in the games Aug. 13-20.

The outstanding Canadian players making the journey to China are twin sisters Sara and Stephanie Yuen of Montreal, stellar players at the University of Ottawa. Sara is the former senior national champion in singles for Canada. Stephanie played in the world junior championships in Austria a few years back. The third player making the trip is Pierre Luc Hinse of Gatineau, Quebec. He’s also a top member of the University of Ottawa team that finished 3rd at the 2011 College Table Tennis Championships in Rochester, Minnesota.

Head coach for the table tennis team from Canada will be En-Long wang of Toronto, a native of Beijing and former Canadian National Team coach. Canada is seeking its first Universiade medal at the August games.

At NCTTA headquarters, we send our best wishes to all the table tennis players. But we have a special shout out to the NCTTA players from Canada!

Division Directors Needed for Upcoming Season
Division reorganization leads to new division director position openings

NCTTA is looking for an “A-Team” of talented volunteers to step up and give back to collegiate table tennis. Opportunities are almost unlimited for men and women with a passion for this Olympic sport.

Division Directors: The ongoing division reorganization has opened a few new division director positions and NCTTA is looking for folks to fill openings in the following divisions:

• Panhandle (North Florida, South Georgia)
• Carolina (North Carolina, parts of South Carolina)
• DC (Northern Virginia, Baltimore, Washington DC)
• Atlantic (Pennsylvania)
• Tristate (NYC metro area)
• New England 2
• Upstate NY
• North Ohio
• South Ohio
• Michigan

We’re looking for people who know the ins and outs of the sport, can organize and run tournaments in their area and promptly check and return emails. Division directors cannot be a competing player in NCTTA competition.

There are some rewards for the hard work. The NCTTA will supply some financial assistance so division directors can attend the 2011 national championships. Plus an NCTTA polo shirt, USATT membership, and free umpire certification all come with the job. You say you feel you don’t have exactly what it takes? NCTTA leaders will supply the training.

How to apply: We want to know a little about your background and experience in table tennis and a brief bio would help. Send us an short statement of no more than 500 words about why you want to fill these shoes. Send it by August 10th to info@...

Got an idea for a future story or newsletter topic? Email the NCTTA Media Relations Chair.

NCTTA Newsletter
September 2011

Classes are back in session and we're gearing up for another fantastic season of college table tennis. This month we've got the scoop on the NCTTA scholarship recipients, division reorganizations, new regional directors, plus the 2011 preseason rankings.

Read on for all this and more ...

2011-2012 Preseason Rankings Released
Familiar table tennis powerhouses top 2011 Preseason Rankings

2011 NCTTA Scholarship Recipients Announced
By Andy Kanengiser, Media Relations Chair

We couldn’t wait any longer to share some good news – the names of four NCTTA players who are new scholarship winners.

The envelopes please! Two are students (and great players) at colleges in California, while the two other standouts hail from schools in Wisconsin and Texas. The scholarship is sponsored by the NCTTA and Newgy Industries, the makers of top-notch table tennis equipment, including table tennis robots.

First, the two female winners. They are: Jingwen Hui, a sports management major from the University of Texas and Ka Po “Anna” Ho, a freshman at the University of Southern California. Hui was a women’s doubles semifinalist at the 2011 National Championships in Minnesota. Ho, whose major is undeclared at the moment, started a campaign to make table tennis an official varsity sport in New York City Schools. Anna Ho also has a website on her favorite sport at www.annalovestabletennis.com

The two men winning scholarships are: Ye Hu, a senior at the University of Wisconsin who’s studying computer science and computer engineering, and Koji Higashi, a senior at the University of California-Berkeley whose major is environmental economics and policy. Hu was the 2010 Wisconsin State Singles and Doubles champion.

We hope to do more-in-depth profiles on these NCTTA players at a later date. The winners are judged on their table tennis abilities, the strength of their essays, financial need, and their work in the classroom. At NCTTA headquarters, we say congratulations to these four scholarship winners and thanks to all who participated in the annual scholarship contest!

2011-2012 Season Kicks Off with Reorganized Divisions

Welcome back college table tennis teams! To accomodate the continued growth of college table tennis, there are quite a few changes in store for the 2011-2012 season. If you haven't been following things too closely the last few months, here's what to expect:

• NCTTA is welcoming several new divisions and has realigned many of the existing divisions. Find out which teams are in which divisions in the NCTTA teams list.
• Division winners will qualify for the regional championship in one of 6 regions: West, South, Midwest, Great Lakes, Northeast and Mid-Atlantic.
• Spring competition will feature division singles competition.

Membership registration is now open online. Here's what you need to do for your team for the upcoming season:

1. Fill out and submit the Online Membership Form by October 1.
   Men's/coed and women's teams from the same school must register separately.
2. Pay the appropriate membership fee for your school (online as part of the Online Membership Form). Fees are $100.00 for returning schools, $50.00 for new schools.
   Schools with both a men's/coed and a women’s team that register and compete will receive a $25.00 membership fee rebate.
3. Take the Fall Eligibility Form to your school’s registrar office to have them verify your players’ eligibility and turn it in to your division director at the first meet.

Don't delay, schools that miss the October 1 early registration deadline will be assessed a $50 late fee, but can still register until 48 hours before the first division competition.

Any questions? Just ask: info@...

New NCTTA Human Resources Coordinator Position
By Andy Kanengiser, Media Relations Chair

NCTTA is looking for a enthusiastic and qualified individual to fill the new Human Resources Coordinator position. This is a position on the Board of Directors which replaces the old Historian position. The HR Coordinator is chiefly responsible for activities related to staff, volunteers, and alumni relations.

Responsibilities include:

• Designing a staff and volunteer recruiting strategy
• Supervising volunteer recruitment for division directors, regional directors, committees, etc.
• Measuring and increasing staff and volunteer retention (includes developing appropriate volunteer benefits)
• Drafting and maintaining volunteer position job descriptions
• Coordinating and assisting with training of new staff and volunteers
• Leading alumni relations and development efforts (chair the Alumni Development Committee)
• Participating regularly in all NCTTA board meetings, email and message board discussions, motions and voting.

Interested? Submit a statement of intent (max. 1 page) describing why you are interested in the position, your background/qualifications, and why you think you'd be a good fit. Email it to info@... by the deadline of October 1.

NCTTA Names New Regional Directors
By Andy Kanengiser, Media Relations Chair

In August, NCTTA leaders selected an all-star lineup of new regional directors. We are delighted to announce the names of these talented men and women as they step up their roles amid recent changes for collegiate table tennis starting this fall. “All in all, we are pleased with the regional directors and look forward to great things as the NCTTA moves forward with its new league structure,” says NCTTA President Willy Leparulo.

Across the board, we believe we’ve chosen people who will bring much energy to the sport they love 365 days a year. A quick tour of who’s who:

- From the South Region, the new regional director is David Livings. He’s served as the Texas Division director since 2008 and will now oversee a large South territory that includes divisions in Texas, Georgia, Florida and the Dixie Division. The region includes perennial powerhouse Texas Wesleyan and top 10 fixture Mississippi College.

- Up in the Great Lakes Region, Lillian Yu is the new regional leader. The former University of Toronto table tennis standout, Lillian led the new Eastern Canada division the past two years. An accountant in Toronto, Yu knows numbers, table tennis, and loads of people who play the game. Lillian will bring “great charisma and leadership” to her new role, Leparulo says.

- Next, let’s head to the Midwest Region, where Linda Leaf is the new director. Leaf has done a fantastic job as director of the Upper Midwest Division since its inception. She helped organize the 2010 NCTTA championships in Waukesha, Wisconsin, near Milwaukee, and was a big-time booster in attracting the U.S. Open to Milwaukee this summer. Linda’s skills and knowledge will be a tremendous asset to the region.

- In the Mid-Atlantic Region, Seemant Teotia is the new regional chief. Involved with NCTTA since 2002, Seemant is the former director of the Virginia Division and remains active with the NCTTA’s eligibility and ratings committees. Needless to say, we are very excited to see Seemant become even more active with the NCTTA family.

- The West Region is another big chunk of turf on the NCTTA map. The new regional director is Kevin Li, a University of California-Berkeley alum who just finished up a year as Northern California Division director. Kevin also proved to be invaluable as a volunteer at the 2011 national collegiate championships in Rochester, Minnesota. Kevin oversees a dynamic region that includes such teams as UCLA, Stanford, Cal, and San Jose State.

- Then back east in the Northeast Region, the new regional director is Nelson Gore. A retired music professor who loves table tennis about as much as he loves music, Gore is a relative newcomer to NCTTA leadership. He did, however, found the Wellesley College club in the 1990s and we’re sure he’ll hit all the right notes in his new assignment with NCTTA.

Teams from USA and Canada Compete at 2011 Universiade
By Andy Kanengiser, Media Relations Chair

Hats off and a hearty round of applause goes to all the players, but especially our fabulous NCTTA delegation from the United States and Canada at last month’s 2011 Summer Universiade.

The games were held in Shenzhen, China’s fastest growing city for the past 30 years. The city of 13 million people is located on the Hong Kong border. The games over the summer attracted super athletes from dozens of sports, from swimming to basketball, from fencing to table tennis to golf.

The USA men’s roster included Mark Hazinski, Yahao Zhang, Chance Friend and Byran Simcox, while the women’s team consisted of Judy Hugh, Stephanie Shih, and Barbara Wei. Jasna Rather along with William Rather were the USA team leaders with Sara Shu Hazinski taking on coaching duties. In order to represent the United States, players had to be U.S. citizens and 27 or younger.

Here are just a few of the highlights. Early on, Mark Hazinski swept his group and defeated competition from Lebanon and Saudi Arabia. In the women’s singles, Judy Hugh advanced and beat players from the Phillipines and the Congo in Africa. In women’s singles, Sara Yuen of Canada defeated Barbara Wei of the USA. Another familiar face on the scene was Texas Wesleyan standout, Jose Barbosa, in Shenzhen representing Brazil.

When all was said and done, the women’s team from the USA finished in the top 16 in the world, while the men’s team ended up in the top 28 teams. Mixed doubles squads that competed included the pairing of Mark Hazinski and Judy Hugh and Yahao Zhang and Stephanie Shih. They gave it their best shot, but succumbed in the first round.

Again, everyone from the NCTTA participating in the World University games, take a bow! You deserve our thanks for your hard work competing against the very best in Shenzhen, China!

NCTTA Leaders Attend Chicago Conference
By Andy Kanengiser, NCTTA Media Relations Chair

When event planners from across the United States visited Chicago for a late August conference, NCTTA leaders were there to make contact with folks interested in hosting future table tennis championships.

From the Kentucky Sports Authority in Frankfurt, to the Flagstaff Convention and Visitors Bureau in Arizona, to the Tallahassee Sports Council in Florida, sports commissions and convention and visitors bureaus from around the country were at the CONNECT 2011 conference in the Windy City. The conference ran from August 26-27th.

The event was an opportunity to build important contacts and let people know more about what it takes to host the NCTTA nationals. The 2012 championship games are already booked for Plano, Texas in April. But what about 2013, 2014 and beyond? That’s up for grabs. Interested cities will need to go through a bidding process to be considered and the NCTTA will evaluate each proposal.

NCTTA President Willy Leparulo, and Vice President Joseph Wells are among those expected to visit Chicago to work the convention crowd, develop contacts and learn much more about what these cities can offer as potential table tennis tournament sites.

“The CONNECT 2011 Conference in Chicago gives the NCTTA a chance to meet with leaders from groups, facilities and cities that are interested in hosting NCTTA championships,” Leparulo said. “We we’re really excited to have the opportunity.”

Mike Meier Stars in Korean Movie as Table Tennis Umpire
By Andy Kanengiser, NCTTA Media Relations Chair

Mike Meier is no Tom Cruise or Tom Hanks. Nobody is confusing him with either famous American actor who earn millions of bucks on the silver screen. A longtime friend and supporter of the NCTTA, who also serves on the NCTTA Audit/Discipline and Paralympic committees, Meier is making a name for himself as an actor in a new Korean movie. The title? This flick is appropriately called “Korea.”

And in truly inspired bit of casting, Meier gets to play … drumroll please … a foreign table tennis umpire. But, as it turns out, it’s a pretty cool role. Instead of playing an extra in the movie, Meier was given lots of lines in the film.

The storyline for “Korea” is pretty simple. It tells the true story of the South Korean and North Korean women’s table tennis teams joining forces for the 1991 World Table Tennis Championship in Chiba, Japan. It is told from the eyes of the main character in the movie, Hyun Jung Hwa, the 1988 Olympic medalist in table tennis, a hero, celebrity and much more.

As for Meier, this table tennis lover truly enjoys the bright lights. He’s also has been booked recently to play a role in a reality TV show in Korea. The show is called “Let’s Go Dream Team 2.” He’s in a table tennis episode. And, spoiler alert, he plays a table tennis umpire, once again!

For more on Meier’s fantastic film adventures in Korea, check out his blog. You never know, the next time you hear about Mike Meier, he could be in Hollywood with other big stars on the red carpet. And if he starts winning any big-time acting awards, we may have to start calling him “Oscar” Meier. But seriously, congrats, Mike Meier, from your NCTTA fans!

Virginia Beach Attracts U.S. Table Tennis Nationals
Division reorganization leads to new division director position openings

Virginia Beach will be the destination point for outstanding players and fans attending the 2011 U.S. Table Tennis Nationals from December 13-17. While millions of people across the USA are trying to hang-on to summer, folks in this Virginia tourist town are busy making plans for their big winter event just a few months down the road.

“Our goal is to produce the finest table tennis event of the year in one of the best venues in the country,” says Dean Johnson, a member of the 2011 Nationals Local Organizing Committee. It’s an event, he added, “that will exceed the expectations of players and spectators alike.”

The 2011 U.S. Nationals will be held at the city’s $22 million state-of-the art convention center built in 2005. With 150,000 square feet of column-free space, excellent lighting and a location that’s mere minutes from oceanfront host hotels, Virginia Beach’s fantastic facility is a terrific place to host the 36th annual event. There are 2,200 free parking spaces for visitors, lots of healthy choice concession stands, a video wall in the lobby for live streaming and much more. Shuttle service will run every few minutes to host hotels all day.

As a free NCTTA service, we wanted to share some of this information this summer, so you can mark the dates on your calendars, and start booking travel arrangements to make it to
Virginia Beach and back.

Read more ...

Got an idea for a future story or newsletter topic? Email the NCTTA Media Relations Chair.

NCTTA Newsletter
October 2011

It's October and he 2011-2012 college table tennis season is kicking into high gear. In this month's newsletter we've got all the details on our new equipment sponsor, profiles of our new Northeast regional director, and a team to watch from out west, plus an article highligting a group of academic powerhouses that are also among the college table tennis elite.

Read on for all this and more ...

Butterfly Becomes Official Equipment of College TT
By Andy Kanengiser, Media Relations Chair

Over the last 50 years, the Martin Kilpatrick Company/Butterfly North America has enjoyed a stellar reputation for providing the very best in table tennis equipment.

With that in mind, the National Collegiate Table Tennis Association is very pleased to welcome Butterfly North America aboard as a major new partner as the 2011-2012 collegiate table tennis season begins. Butterfly will be the official equipment sponsor of NCTTA for the upcoming competition season, including both the regional and national championships.

As college table tennis’ official equipment partner, Butterfly will provide table tennis balls and tables among other support during the college table tennis season. Both sides are appreciative of the hard work to put this agreement together and believe it will a happy marriage for years to come.

“NCTTA is very excited to partner with Butterfly North America,” says NCTTA Vice President Joseph Wells, who helped put the package together. NCTTA, he added, is anxious to “see this partnership come to life.” For a number of years, the good people at Butterfly have “been supportive of collegiate table tennis and we look forward to nurturing those efforts,” Wells said.

Butterfly North America President Bowie Martin is just as excited to trumpet the good news. “Butterfly North America is proud to partner with the NCTTA. The NCTTA has done a tremendous job of growing table tennis through collegiate league play, regional tournaments and their national championship,” Martin said.

In countries where table tennis is most popular, league play, he said, “is the foundation for the sport's success. Butterfly looks forward to working with the NCTTA to continue bringing organized table tennis to more college students in North America.”

Martin-Kilpatrick Co. doing business as Butterfly North America is the sole Butterfly distributor for North America. Butterfly sponsored players & events include: — Timo Boll, the 2010 European Men’s Champion —Zhang Jike, the 2011 World’s Men’s Champion — Official Table, 2012 World Team Championships — Official Ball, 2013 World Championships.

2011-2012 Season Paperwork Reminder

If you haven't already, here's what you need to do for your team for the upcoming season:

1. Fill out and submit the Online Membership Form at least 48 hours before your first division competition.
   Men's/coed and women's teams from the same school must register separately.
2. Pay the appropriate membership fee for your school (online as part of the Online Membership Form). Fees are $150.00 for returning schools, $100.00 for new schools.
   Schools with both a men's/coed and a women’s team that register and compete will receive a $25.00 membership fee rebate.
3. Take the Fall Eligibility Form to your school’s registrar office to have them verify your players’ eligibility and turn it in to your division director at the first meet.

Don't delay, register today! Any questions? Just ask: info@...

Retired Prof. Nelson Gore Leads Northeast Region
By Andy Kanengiser, Media Relations Chair

Founded in 1870, Wellesley College is one of the nation’s most prestigious higher education institutions. Today, the college is the undergraduate home for 2,400 women, some of the best and brightest scholars from the USA and other countries.

For 20 years, Wellesley students have been lucky to have Nelson Gore as a music professor. For the 2011-2012 season, the NCTTA family is delighted to welcome this retired professor as one of our new regional directors (nelson.gore@...). Gore, who started the Wellesley College Table Tennis Team in the 1990s, is a gentleman who’s passionate about the sport.

“I loved the game as a kid. Of course, I was terrible,” recalls the New York native.

But being a terrible player as a youngster didn’t stop him. Gore discovered the sport again in the early 1990s at a table tennis club in Massachusetts and never quit playing. He’s still working to improve his game today at the Boston Table Tennis Academy from Mozart Francoise. When folks visit clubs in Massachusetts, they will see Gore spending time helping younger players improve their game and encouraging them to stick with it.

Gore is not just a Northeast guy. He spent a year in Miami in 1997 where he started programs for table tennis at 15 centers belonging to the Florida city’s Parks and Recreation Department. Mr. Gore also raised money for the program and donated equipment.

Vietnamese Cowboy in the Wild Wild West
By Kevin Li, NCTTA Media Relations Committee

In the land of surfing, beaches, and palm trees, a tough San Jose State team is gearing up for the for the 2011-2012 college table tennis season. After winning the NCTTA Northern California division last season, San Jose State has their sights set even higher for this year.

Leading the way is San Jose State’s, Truong Tu, one of the top ranked players in the division, who went undefeated in collegiate play in 2010-2011 season. Among Tu’s many titles are the 2011 West Coast Spring Open champion and the 2007 Vietnamese National Amateur Open champion.

Growing up in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Tu started playing table tennis when he was 6 years old. But in his early years, table tennis may not have even been his best sport. A promising bowler, Tu was at one point named “Youth of the Year” in the Ho Chi Minh City Bowling Association.

Read more ...

Ivy League Makes its Mark on College Table Tennis
By Nancy Chen, NCTTA Media Relations Committee

Nowadays, the Ivy League is known as a block of academically competitive institutions, but many forget that it began as an athletic conference like the Big Ten. When it comes to table tennis, that athletic tradition is alive and well with several Ivy League schools figuring prominently atop the college table tennis rankings.

The Princeton name is about as well known in the collegiate table tennis world as it is in academic circles. In the last five years, Princeton has secured four top four finishes at the National Championships. Their streak of Mid-Atlantic division titles stands at six straight. Many Princeton players originate from top table tennis clubs in New Jersey and Maryland; some having competed against each other before joining the Princeton team. Notable alumni include World University Games players Adam Hugh and Pan Lin.

The University of Pennsylvania has been one of Princeton’s biggest division rivals, although this season’s division realignments means the teams may not meet until the Northeast Regional Championship. Penn prides itself on over a decade of consistently solid performance, having qualified at least one team member to nationals for the past four years. One of the highlights of the Penn club is raising $8,000 for non-profit organizations through coordinating a tournament across multiple student groups.

Slightly farther north, Columbia, sports a team that has been a fixture at the Collegiate Championships. Columbia’s women’s team captured third place in 2010, matching their co-ed team’s third place finish in 2009. Veteran team member Stephanie Shih also played in the World University Games and competed on the US cadet and junior teams prior to joining the collegiate ranks.

Read more ...

Big Table Tennis Tournaments Boost Economy
By Andy Kanengiser, NCTTA Media Relations Chair

Table tennis offers no cure for America’s bad economy. But hosting a big tournament can provide a little economic shot in the arm for US communities from coast to coast.

Organizers who actively courted the recent U.S. Open earlier predicted the summer event would have more than a $1 million impact on the Milwaukee area. This summer, we are hearing from leaders of the 2011 U.S. Table Tennis Nationals that the event will boost restaurants, hotels, shopping and other things for Virginia Beach in December.

“The economic impact of the U.S. Nationals being held in Virginia Beach will be very positive,” says Dean Johnson of the Virginia Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Read more ...

Sponsor Corner
Special thanks to our sponsors, Butterfly and Newgy!

NCTTA, would like to thank Butterfly for its support of college table tennis. Butterfly is the exclusive NCTTA League and Championship Equipment sponsor for the 2011-2012 season. Grab all your favorite Butterfly equipment in the online Butterfly store.

Also, special thanks to NEWGY Industries, for its continued support of college table tennis Newgy offers a great way to fundraise for your club and help out our sponsor as well by signing up and participating in their Newgy Robo Pong Affiliate Program.

Got an idea for a future story or newsletter topic? Email the NCTTA Media Relations Chair.

NCTTA Newsletter
November 2011

Come November, the college table tennis season is in full swing. Which means we've got updates, results, and profiles of the teams to beat from a whole bunch of different NCTTA divisions. Plus, find out about the new NCTTA HR director and a few teams new to college table tennis this season.

Read on for all this and more ...

Wanda Wong Named NCTTA HR Director
By Andy Kanengiser, Media Relations Chair

Wanda Wong says it’s truly amazing how table tennis brings people together. The Olympic sport makes strangers become friends pretty quickly, says the 2011 University of Western Ontario graduate.

Her job as the NCTTA’s new human resources director is to bring people together, and we are happy to have Wanda aboard. As the HR person, she will be working hard to recruit, train and evaluate volunteers. She will also serve as the point person to keep NCTTA alumni connected to their favorite sport after they graduate.

Already serving as a division director of one of the Eastern Canada divisions, Wong is now taking on duties as a board member as well. The Ottawa resident is a former assistant coach at the Geng Table Tennis Academy in Ottawa. Wong started playing table tennis at the age of 7 and competed until the age of 15. She stopped for a few years and picked up the game at the university level and took part in NCTTA games.

Feel free to contact Wanda Wong and congratulate her on her new position!

Length of Eligibility Reminder

College table tennis is alot of fun, but let’s remember that you can’t play forever. Please review these rules on how many years you are allowed to play in NCTTA competition for either a coed or women's team. If we catch you playing too many years we will default your matches and your team may not be too happy with you!

From the NCTTA Rules and Regulations:

2.10 Length of Eligibility
An NCTTA player who first competed in the 2007-2008 season or later may compete in NCTTA competitions for a maximum of four (4) academic years. Players who first competed prior to 2007-2008 may compete for up to five (5) academic years. A player has competed in an academic year if he or she has played at least one match for a varsity team or in NCTTA singles/doubles in any NCTTA competition held that academic year.

If there are any doubts or questions about the rules or a player's eligibility, feel free to contact the NCTTA Eligibility Director at registrar@...

Toledo Rockets Launch Table Tennis Team
By Andy Kanengiser, Media Relations Chair

University of Toledo Rockets basketball fans saw their 2011-2012 season tipoff in the Texas-Pan American Tournament November 18-21. Football fans saw their Rockets battle such Mid-American Conference foes as Ball State on November 25.

Now the Ohio school is also building a fan base for Toledo’s new table tennis team that plays in the NCTTA’s Michigan Division. Toledo is one of nearly 20 colleges around the USA and Canada to unveil table tennis teams this fall.

Credit Steven Hammersmith and his friend Austin Schultz for getting the Toledo team started in 2011. They were playing table tennis in the university’s recreation center and wanted to face more competition. One thing led to another and these guys formed a team. Soon, buddies Steven and Austin are joined by other Toledo students named Ashish Kaira, Hou Qiaolu and Zhenyu Zhang. The rest, as they say, is history.

This Northern Ohio university team is enjoying its debut in the Michigan division and we, at NCTTA headquarters, welcome the launching of the Rockets squad!

We also applaud the blitz of other new schools taking part in NCTTA regionals this fall, including:

• Penn State Abington
• William & Mary
• Concordia University
• Tallahassee Community College
• DePaul University
• Baldwin Wallace College
• Westminster College
• Clarkson University
• Drew University
• University of Montreal
• University of St. Thomas

Got a good story about a new college team, drop us a line and we'll try to tell their story:
publicrelations@...

Sponsor Corner
Special thanks to our sponsors, Butterfly and Newgy!

NCTTA, would like to thank Butterfly for its support of college table tennis. Butterfly is the exclusive NCTTA League and Championship Equipment sponsor for the 2011-2012 season. Grab all your favorite Butterfly equipment in the online Butterfly store.

Also, special thanks to NEWGY Industries, for its continued support of college table tennis Newgy offers a great way to fundraise for your club and help out our sponsor as well by signing up and participating in their Newgy Robo Pong Affiliate Program.

Florida Dominates Panhandle Division
By Andy Kanengiser, Media Relations Chair

When Florida star quarterback Tim Tebow was tossing touchdowns a couple of seasons ago, his Gators team was an almost unbeatable national football power. In the Panhandle Division, Florida’s table tennis team was playing just like the football champs of the Tim Tebow era.

“UF came, saw, and absolutely conquered all the competition,” says NCTTA President Willy Leparulo as Florida emerged as the top team in the division after the fall division matches on the Florida State campus in Tallahassee.

It wasn’t even close. The Gators brought a powerful lineup to FSU Seminole territory  and knocked off all of their rivals without losing a match. Currently in second place in the division is North Florida, with Valdosta State from across the state line in south Georgia is currently in 3rd. Host Florida State, Darton College, and newcomer Tallahassee Community College (TCC) round out the rest of the places in the division.

The Panhandle Division was born as the result of NCTTA reorganization with the six teams taken from the bigger Florida and Georgia divisions.

“We have a lot of work to do before the next meet,” said TCC Team captain Chris Tranberg, whose school is located just down the road from Florida State. TCC and other schools return for more action next spring at UF in Gainesville February 11-12. But with Florida packing such strong paddles, the Gators are the heavy favorite to emerge as the Panhandle champs in 2011-2012.

Texas Teams Battle in Fort Worth
By Andy Kanengiser, Media Relations Chair

Texas is the new super power when it comes to women’s table tennis! No, not Texas Wesleyan, that’s Texas, as in the University of Texas. The Longhorns from Austin proved too much for their opponents when women’s teams battled it out in Fort Worth, Texas on October 8th in regional competition.

What happened to the 2011 national women’s champs, Texas Wesleyan? The team from Fort Worth this fall is without some of the stellar players from last year’s squad. TWU is down a few notches by the loss of such outstanding players as Ines Perhoc and Hung-Yu Chen, the main forces from last year’s superb team, says coach Jasna Rather.

“As expected, UT Austin dominated in this event,” Jasna says. She predicts the Lady Longhorns from UT will be a top contender at the 2012 National Championships in Plano, Texas. The three women’s teams competing were UT Austin, UT Dallas and Texas Wesleyan.

In the men’s/coed team competition, the perennial champs, Texas Wesleyan emerged again as No. 1. No surprise in that case.

But the Texas Division featured a fierce struggle between UT Dallas and UT Austin for the No. 2 spot. With a 2-2 split in singles, it came down to UT Austin winning in the doubles match. North Dallas and the University of St. Thomas-Houston also competed in the Texas Division this season.

Mississippi College Continues Dixie Division Success
By Andy Kanengiser, Media Relations Chair

Mississippi College’s Homecoming weekend in October saw another strong showing by the home team in the Dixie Division competition.

A longtime champ in their division that stretches across Mississippi, and includes parts of Alabama and west Florida, MC finished on top in the men’s/coed division thanks in part to Zhiqiao Xie and Liting Ye, two new players from China joining the team this fall. Mississippi College finished in 5th place at last year’s College Table Tennis Championships.

The fall division competition was held October 22 at the spacious Baptist Healthplex on the Clinton campus just miles from the state capital of Jackson. The University of Alabama-Huntsville landed in second place. Also competing were Alabama, Mississippi State, and West Florida.

The event attracted a number of Mississippi College leaders including President Lee Royce, other key administrators and alumni from as far away as Texas. The win by the MC Choctaws coincided with a football victory by the Baptist-affiliated university a few hours later over Howard Payne, a Texas rival in the American Southwest Conference.

NC State Triumphs in Carolina Division
By Andy Kanengiser, NCTTA Media Relations Chair

Athletic traditions run deep at North Carolina State University. In basketball, the Wolfpack has produced two NCAA championships. Fans should pack the 20,000-seat RBC Center on the Raleigh campus when NC State tangles with the Ivy League’s Princeton and other outstanding hoops teams this fall and winter.

Now, NC State table tennis is stepping up and showing its strength by tearing up NCTTA’s Carolina Division. Currently in second is Duke, with William & Mary third and Christopher Newport University taking the fourth spot.

NC State recruits student-athletes from around the globe. The stellar table tennis players for the Wolfpack include Lionel Edwin and Brahmananda Chakraborty, both of India, plus Zhijian Wang of China and Christian Perea of Columbia. Bishal Sharma, the Carolina division director, is an NC State student hailing from Nepal. But since he was running things, Bishal couldn’t play for the NC State team at the fall division competition.

In one of the key matches, NC State’s Lionel Edwin defeated Sunny Sun of Duke. The first contest of the day saw table tennis newcomer William & Mary of Virginia face Christopher Newport University. Almost every match had its shining moments for all four table tennis rivals.

“What an intense day for everybody,” Bishal Sharma said. “I had a lot of fun as the division director. I cannot wait for the next competition.”

Penn State Leads New Atlantic Division
By Andy Kanengiser, NCTTA Media Relations Chair

Penn State’s Marcus Jackson, showed why he’s the best player in the NCTTA’s Atlantic Division. Jackson brought his A-game to his home court on the University Park campus as the Nittany Lions defeated four other table tennis squads on November 5.

When all was said and done, the University of Pennsylvania’s coed team stood in second place. Jackson knocked off Penn’s Sandy (Shengzhi) Sun in a pretty fierce battle at the White Building, the spacious PSU facility that doubles as a dance floor. Keeping in step with strong performances were two other Nittany Lions, Captain Alex Weiner and Tyler Bello.

Currently in third-place after the fall competition is St. Francis University, with Penn State West Scranton in fourth. Newcomer Penn State Abington, led by Navin Rao, deserves congrats for putting in a solid effort in its first NCTTA tournament and finished 5th.

In many ways, the regional tournament in Happy Valley, a few miles from Penn State’s Mount Nittany, was a tremendous success, organizers say. Hats off to Asif and others who made the NCTTA’s Atlantic Division regional go so smoothly. Penn State expects to host its next division competition in January 2012.

Washington Huskies Rule Northwest Table Tennis
By Andy Kanengiser, NCTTA Media Relations Chair

When it comes to table tennis, winning is what Washington does best in the NCTTA’s talented Northwest Division. On November 12, the Washington Huskies finished on top after the fall division competition with the 150-year-old university’s co-ed and women’s teams going undefeated, reports NCTTA West Regional Director, Kevin Li.

The competition, held at excellent facilities on the University of Portland campus, brought together five teams for some spirited table tennis action. Washington trotted out a powerful lineup this year with Gavin Fung, Yeqin Zen, James Kusi and Brian Chia leading the way.

Lindenwood Cruises in Lower Midwest Division
By Andy Kanengiser, NCTTA Media Relations Chair

Lindenwood University’s arena looked sharp with 18 Butterfly tables and loads of Butterfly barriers surrounding the lively table tennis action at the NCTTA’s Lower Midwest Division competition.

The Lindenwood team looked even sharper as the men’s/coed team and women’s team went undefeated November 6 on the Saint Charles, Missouri campus. The strong showing was pretty much expected of the No. 2 ranked Lindenwood men and No. 1 ranked Lindenwood women. Other schools competing included Illinois, Washington University, Indiana, Saint Louis and Southern Illinois.

What was different, reports Randle Kendle, the division director, is that the University of Illinois fielded a women’s team. It was the first time that Kendle can recall seeing a women’s team battle Lindenwood in the history of the Lower Midwest Division.

Governors State Triumphs in Upper Midwest Division
By Andy Kanengiser, NCTTA Media Relations Chair

Governors State University hosts a number of outstanding events at its beautiful Center for the Performing Arts. The Salt Creek Ballet’s version of the Nutracker will be presented December 10th on the Illinois campus. On January 29, 2012, the Golden Dragon Acrobats will perform.

Performers with just as much talent when it comes to the game of table tennis, the Governors State team plays with heart and knows how to win. That was the case when the No. 3 ranked Governors State’s coed team went undefeated recently in NCTTA Upper Midwest Division play. Finishing 4th at the 2011 NCTTA Championships, the suburban Chicago school has quickly emerged to become a national powerhouse.

The fall division competition was held November 12th on the GSU campus in University Park. DePaul University, a table tennis newcomer this year, finished second. Purdue, Wisconsin, Northwestern and Illinois-Chicago also competed.

GSU professor Dr. TJ Wang, the Upper Midwest Division director, got a helping hand from Linda Leaf, the Midwest Regional director, to run the tourney. It attracted 40 men and four women from the six competing universities.

The competition started on a high note with Governors State senior Eddie Rogers belting out the National Anthem. Rogers knows how to sing. He was one of the finalists representing the Chicago area in the 2010 Superboy competition in Los Angeles. But when the table tennis competition ended late that fall afternoon, Governors State players walked away with all the victories.

Northeastern Leads Hotly Contested New England 2
By Nancy Chen, NCTTA Media Relations Committee

Northeastern emerged from a crowded and competitive field to sit at first place atop New England Division 2.

Northeastern narrowly defeated strong teams from both Harvard (3-1) and MIT (3-2) November 5th at New England 2’s first competition of the 2011-2012 season. Dartmouth, UMass-Boston and UMass-Lowell rounded out the field with UMass-Boston returning to college table tennis competition after a five year hiatus.

Northeastern avenged a tough, 3-2 loss to Harvard in last year’s ten-team New England Division. Despite the fewer teams due to the division split, competition was no less fierce this time around. Competition appeared stronger than in recent years, with new players, increased training, and enthusiasm for the game making for many close and entertaining matches.

Got an idea for a future story or newsletter topic? Email the NCTTA Media Relations Chair.

NCTTA Newsletter
January 2012

The new year brings some exciting new happenings in NCTTA. Starting with the NCTTA division singles competitions this spring. We'll cover all the details of where they'll be held and the registration process. Plus we've got the mid-season rankings and profiles of some of the top teams to watch this season.

Read on for all this and more ...

NCTTA Launches Singles Competition in 2012
By Andy Kanengiser, Media Relations Chair

The games are on, with NCTTA leaders delighted to announce the start of singles competition for collegiate table tennis players in 2012.

It took a great deal of study and planning dating back to 2010, and NCTTA officials expect singles action will catch on at campuses across the USA and Canada as winter turns to spring. NCTTA President Willy Leparulo in mid-January discussed how it’s going to work, whether at the divisional, regional or national levels.

“We started discussing this back in 2010 after talks with the NCAA about how to go to the next level and offer members a little more,” Leparulo said. “For years, the NCTTA was known as a league where you can organize your club to play in a team-based league. But now in 2012 both teams and singles qualifiers from divisional play and beyond will get a shot at making it to the big national championships in Plano, Texas in April 2012,” he added. “This is just a start, but a good one at that.”

Leparulo and others at NCTTA headquarters are hoping to see loads of people sign up for singles contests in their areas. Cost to play singles will be $25 for men and $20 for women. We believe it’s a great investment in helping us step up collegiate table tennis action!

To register for the singles competition in your division, head to: www.nctta.org/singles
See also the complete list of competition dates on the NCTTA website. Registration deadline is 3 days before the competition (Wed. by 11:59 PM for Sat. competitions. Thu. by 11:59 PM for Sun. competitions).

2011-2012 Mid-Season Rankings Released

Little suprise at the top of the rankings, with Texas Wesleyan and Lindenwood retaining the No. 1 and No. 2 spots they held in the pre-season rankings. But from there down there were lots of surprises. Like San Jose St. at No. 4 or newcomer Simon Fraser of the Canuck Division at No. 10.

In the women's rankings, Lindenwood is holding steady at the top with a trio of Canadian schools, British Columbia, Waterloo, and Toronto looking to challenge. The Texas Lady Longhorns round out the top 5.

Check out the complete 2011-2012 Mid-Season Rankings to see how all the top teams stack up so far this season.

Sponsor Corner
Special thanks to our sponsors, Butterfly and Newgy!

NCTTA, would like to thank Butterfly for its support of college table tennis. Butterfly is the exclusive NCTTA League and Championship Equipment sponsor for the 2011-2012 season. Grab all your favorite Butterfly equipment in the online Butterfly store.

Also, special thanks to NEWGY Industries, for its continued support of college table tennis Newgy offers a great way to fundraise for your club and help out our sponsor as well by signing up and participating in their Newgy Robo Pong Affiliate Program.

2013 Championships Bidding Deadline Set for Feb. 1
By Andy Kanengiser, Media Relations Chair

While the 2012 National Championships in Plano, Texas are fast approaching this April, the deadline also draws near for cities to bid to host the 2013 games.

NCTTA officials set a February 1, 2012 deadline to receive site proposals. Once city leaders submit their plans, NCTTA's team will explore all of the bids with a close look at a facility's flooring, lighting, space, spectator capacity, food services and parking. Folks at NCTTA headquarters also want to know the details about nearby hotels, banquet facilities, the crew of dozens of volunteers available to staff the weekend of championship games, transportation to and from the site, restaurants, local cultural attractions and much more.

It's a lengthy and time-consuming process that NCTTA leaders go through year after year to try to ensure that the best proposal is ultimately selected. Proposals will be posted on the NCTTA website shortly after the bid deadline to gain feedback from the rest of the collegiate table tennis family. There are also site visits made by NCTTA's team to get an up-close look at the facilities available for our big event.

For those newcomers to NCTTA ranks, the 2011 championships were held in Rochester, Minnesota, the city that's known worldwide as the home of the famed Mayo Clinic. The 2010 games were held at a site near Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Over the years, the games have taken the finest collegiate table tennis players in the USA and Canada to championship competition in Columbus, Ohio, and in cities in Texas and California.

San Jose St. Emerges as Northern California Power
By Andy Kanengiser, Media Relations Chair

When 13,000 San Jose State University Facebook fans were recently asked to name their favorite place to study on campus, the overwhelming choice was the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library.

If the San Jose State family was asked to name the school’s best sports team, the obvious pick would have to be the Spartans fabulous table tennis squad. At the moment, the coed team is ranked No. 4 in the USA and Canada, according to this month’s NCTTA mid-season rankings.

That’s super for a team that showed strength in the Northern California Division last year with a No. 19 ranking nationwide. They showed they are no flash in the pan. This team is great and getting better no matter where they play. They are undefeated – 4-0 – so far in the division and are already looking ahead to the West Regional competition and perhaps the national tourney in Plano, Texas in April 2012.

With seven players on the team, SJSU is led by No. 1 player Truong Tu, a native of Vietnam who once played on a team in Ho Chi Minh City. He brings a powerful 2454 USATT rating to the table. He’s also a smart guy who’s in pursuit of an MBA at San Jose State after getting his marketing degree at the school in the Silicon Valley.

Read more ...

Canada’s Table Tennis Teams Stay Hot
By Andy Kanengiser, Media Relations Chair

Canada is always freezing cold in the winter, but stays awfully hot year-round when it comes to the sport of table tennis on college campuses.

The latest NCTTA rankings show a whopping seven of Canada’s 10 college teams in the top 25 in the coed/men’s division. Teams from Canada are also strong in the women’s rankings.

The newest NCTTA Mid-Season rankings for 2011-2012 were released in early January, around the time of the coldest weather in Canada. Take a look at the temps in Canada on Saturday January 14, 2012. Ottawa recorded a frigid minus 18 degrees, and it was a teeth-chattering 11 degrees below in Toronto. Calgary rated as one of the nation’s warm spots that day at 3 degrees.

Evidently, some of the sharpest table tennis players on college campuses throughout Canada are avoiding the ice, snow and strong wind gusts outdoors. They are improving their game indoors when the cold weather hits, but also polishing their game year-round.
Having seven of the ten colleges in Canada that play the Olympic sport ranked in the NCTTA’s Top 25 is really quite remarkable.

“It’s absolutely amazing” says NCTTA President Willy Leparulo. “We added a new Canuck Division this season, but even still the overall strength of the Canadian teams is impressive.”

Read more ...

Virginia Tech's Consistency Continues in 2012
By Andy Kanengiser, Media Relations Chair

When it comes to football, Virginia Tech has been one of the most consistent teams over the past two decades, winning their way to 19 consecutive post-season bowl games under legendary Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer.

Inside on the table tennis court, Virginia Tech is quietly working on assembling a similar streak. They’ve qualified for the NCTTA Championships 9 times in a row. In fact, Virginia Tech’s table tennis team has made it to the post season every year of its existence. They know how to win, having never once experienced a losing season.

Even with the graduation of the team’s top two players last season, Virginia Tech’s winning ways continue. The team currently sits at No. 21 in the Mid-Season Rankings and in first place atop the Virginia division.

“Virginia Tech’s roster has undergone some changes this season, yet they still remain the team to beat in the Virginia division,” says Abrahm Behnam, the division director. It’s a case of Virginia Tech’s fresh faces stepping up with their paddles to keep the Hokies No. 1 in their league.

Read more ...

Spring Eligibility Form Reminder

Let's make things nice and simple. We know there are lots of college table tennis competitions coming up this spring, from NCTTA team competitions, to NCTTA division singles, to the Regional and National Championships.

But you only need 1 eligibility form for all of them. That would be the 2012 Spring Eligibility Form due February 6, 2012.

If your 1st division competition of the semester is held before Feb. 6 you can turn it in to your division director. Otherwise mail it directly to NCTTA (address is on the form).

Don't delay, if you don't submit your eligibility form you won't be able to compete in any of those great spring competitions we mentioned. If you're confused about NCTTA's eligibility rules, see the Eligibility FAQ at the end of the December newsletter.

Got an idea for a future story or newsletter topic? Email the NCTTA Media Relations Chair.

NCTTA Newsletter
February 2012

It's an exciting time of the college table tennis season. Division play has recently wrapped up, the Regional Championship season is in full swing, the 2012 Championships are right around the corner. Plus we're already reviewing the proposals for 2013 Championship sites.

Read on for all this and more ...

2013 Championships Attract Eight Potential Hosts
By Andy Kanengiser, Media Relations Chair

Eight USA cities are making bids to get the right to host the NCTTA’s 2013 championships.
Turning in proposals prior to the February 1 deadline, the total of cities seeking to host the games sets a new record, says NCTTA President Willy Leparulo. “We are thrilled at the response. We are delighted we are attracting so much interest from across the nation. We thank all who turned in proposals.”

While table tennis fans are gearing up for the 2012 Championships in April in Plano, Texas, NCTTA leaders will soon be getting feedback from its membership on the new list of 2013 bidders. We want to hear your responses after you study the proposals on the NCTTA website. The plans submitted recently tell us everything about venue lighting, table tennis seating, volunteers, area hotels, transportation, restaurants, a city’s cultural attractions and other amenities.

With a varied selection of sites that stretch all the way from New Mexico to Florida and up to Midwest states like Minnesota, Michigan and Illinois, there’s certainly a lot to consider. Throw in Pennyslvania Dutch Country making its pitch in the East and an appeal coming from the heartland in Tulsa, Oklahoma and you end up with a full slate of options.

Read more ...

Central Florida Knights Wins Florida Division Title
By Andy Kanengiser, Media Relations Chair

The University of Central Florida Knights brought home the gold in their recent division competition in the Sunshine State. Just days before presidential hopefuls Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich slugged it out in a key Tuesday primary, the Central Florida team showed off its awesome table tennis skills to knock off South Florida, and the Miami Hurricanes.

Going into the spring competition on January 28th, table tennis fans really didn’t know who would finish atop the division that Saturday. Fans felt uncertain about the outcome considering Miami squeezed out a fall division win by two games, says Michael McFarland, the NCTTA’s Florida Division Director.

For the record, Central Florida finished first at the late January tournament followed by 2nd place South Florida narrowly topping Miami. It took a heated doubles match win by South Florida to give them the victory over the third-place Canes.

The NCTTA’s first ever singles division action was just as competitive that day in sunny Florida. Walter Alomar of the University of Puerto Rico brought his A-game to the table and finished the overall winner. AJ Scarp of Central Florida made it close, but ended up in second place.

Sponsor Corner
Special thanks to our sponsors, Butterfly and Newgy!

NCTTA, would like to thank Butterfly for its support of college table tennis. Butterfly is the exclusive NCTTA League and Championship Equipment sponsor for the 2011-2012 season. Grab all your favorite Butterfly equipment in the online Butterfly store.

Also, special thanks to NEWGY Industries, for its continued support of college table tennis Newgy offers a great way to fundraise for your club and help out our sponsor as well by signing up and participating in their Newgy Robo Pong Affiliate Program.

N.C. State Captures Carolina Division Crown
By Andy Kanengiser, Media Relations Chair

North Carolina State’s table tennis team walked away with the Carolina Division title after knocking off a trio of rivals, including the Duke Blue Devils. At the NCTTA divisional competition, the Wolfpack’s talented lineup of Scott James, Christian Perea, Lionel Edwin and Yinglong Guan proved too much for all opposing teams coming to Duke’s campus on February 4.

In terms of NC State athletics, it was a terrific Saturday. On the same day, NC State’s basketball team whipped the Wake Forest Deacons by an 87-76 margin on the hardwood. The NC State victory on the table tennis courts was just as decisive as the school’s hoops triumph in the rugged Atlantic Coast Conference.

Things got started, when NC State paddled Cristopher Newport University by a count of 3 games to 1. By the same 3-1 margin, NC State defeated a Duke lineup of Nicholas Enz, Abu Sufian, Sunny Sun and Alex Zhu. Duke and NC State are pretty familiar rivals. Duke was swept by NC State in the previous Carolina divisional tournament in the fall.

Win or lose, all the teams came to the Duke campus ready to play. Cristopher Newport University brought a good bunch, including Ryan Gibson, Bret Marfut, Sean Meslar and Ben Howard. “What a day,” says Bishal, the Carolina division director. “All the players have greatly improved from the fall.”

Penn State Wins Atlantic Division
By Andy Kanengiser, Media Relations Chair

We are … Penn State! That’s the rallying cry after the Nittany Lions table tennis team raced to victory in the NCTTA’s Atlantic Division tournament on the University Park campus.

“In teams competition, Penn State was the number one seed and they proved their dominance throughout and won comfortably,” said division director Asif ud-Doula. PSU standout Marcus Jackson led the way on February 4 and didn’t lose a game.

The University of Pennsylvania finished second during team competition in the White Building, a gym-like room that’s often used for dancing on the campus in Central Pennsylvania. Other teams competing that Saturday included St. Francis University, Penn State’s Scranton campus and Drexel University that all put their coed teams to the test. In addition, newcomer Bryn Mawr College had a women’s team that competed.

Read more ...

Florida Gators Win Panhandle Division
By Andy Kanengiser, Media Relations Chair

At NCTTA headquarters, we know that's great advice after the University of Florida table tennis punished all its foes in the Panhandle Division tournament on its home turf on the Gainesville campus. The newly revamped Panhandle Division spans portions of the Sunshine State and the neighboring Peach State of Georgia.

“We came, we saw and we conquered should be the University of Florida's mantra,” says NCTTA President Willy Leparulo, who wears another hat as the Panhandle Division Director.
The Gators exited the Panhandle Division tournament with two crowns in February after finishing on top in the team and singles events led by impressive performances from senior Dashieo Neimark. His huge forehand loop was stunning, fans say.

Read more ...

Ohio State Buckeyes Reign in Divisional Play
By Andy Kanengiser, Media Relations Chair

Ohio State’s table tennis team is generating plenty of buzz on the Columbus campus after its February triumph in the Ohio Division to advance to Great Lakes regional championship.

Ohio State’s coed team finished with a sparkling 5-0 record, and the women’s team was 2-1 to advance to the regionals. Ohio State was the heavy favorite going in based on its strong showing in the fall to climb to No. 1 in the division.

Two of the three Ohio State men moved up to the regionals in singles play. Keith Pech from Baldwin-Wallace College in Ohio stepped up his game and won in singles competition. OSU women were also successful with their singles game play.

One of the big disappointments in the Ohio Division was the fact that three schools, Akron, the College of Wooster and Oberlin College didn’t participate in the February event. NCTTA officials hope the trio of teams returns in the fall of 2012. With three teams sitting it out, the Ohio Division was happy to welcome a new school on board. That would be the University of West Virginia at Parkersburg.

“They brought an awesome attitude to the tournament,” said Ohio Division Director Eric Frantz. The West Virginia visitors played well and the team paddled their way to a 3-2 record. And a winning record is not bad for their first NCTTA tournament after joining the Ohio Division this winter.

Virginia Tech Wins 6th Straight Virginia Division Title

Plenty went wrong even before the action got started, but Virginia Tech did all the right things in February to emerge as the divisional champions.

The trouble started on the road the day before the NCTTA tournament. The bad news was that Abrahm Benham’s car broke down and was towed. Benham happens to be the director of the NCTTA’s Virginia Division. It only gets worse. There was no internet at the Virginia tournament and officials had to locate another computer to download information. One more thing. The printer ink ran out before the last round of team matches were over.

Despite all that, the Virginia teams played great table tennis. The University of Virginia’s team finished in 2nd place. But fans were delighted to see a new star emerge. That would be Virginia Commonwealth University’s freshman Tao Li. Her powerful 2360 rating is the best in the division. She overpowered all of her opponents. There are lots of good things happening at VCU in the heart of Richmond.

With their new star, young team and terrific facilities (the team just acquired six new tables to bring their total to a dozen), VCU looks like a rising force in the division for years to come, Behnam says.

Others competing in the division included James Madison University in Harrisonburg, and Fork Union Military Academy. Fans who missed the games can check out the photo gallery online.

Got an idea for a future story or newsletter topic? Email the NCTTA Media Relations Chair.

NCTTA Newsletter
March 2012

With the 6 regional championships concluded, and all the wildcard invitations extended, the field is set and anticipation is building for the 2012 Championships. We've got recaps for you of all the regional championship action, plus find out more about where the 2013 Championships will be held.

Read on for all this and more ...

Field Set for 2012 Championships

Texas Wesleyan and Lindenwood head up one of the strongest Championships fields in recent memory for the 2012 Championships in Plano, Texas.

For fans of college table tennis, it’s no surprise to see Texas Wesleyan as the No. 1 overall men’s/coed seed. No. 2 Lindenwood and No. 3 Mississippi College are also no strangers to Championships excellent. In contrast, No. 4 San Jose State is a relative newcomer. The Spartans qualified for their first Championships in 2011, finishing 19th. Toronto, with perhaps its strongest men’s/coed team ever, nabbed the 5th overall seed.

On the women’s side, it was Lindenwood taking the top overall seed. The No. 1 ranked team all season, the Lady Lions are heavy favorites to capture their second women’s team title in 3 years. No. 2 seed Toronto, which finished 2nd place at the 2009 Championships and 8th in 2011, is looking to break through and capture their first ever Championship. Texas which finished 5th place last year, figures to improve on that performance, starting out as the No. 3 seed. Washington and NYU round out the Top 5.

Checkout all of the seedings on the 2012 Championships website:

Seedings: Team | Singles | Doubles
News Release: Plano Set to Welcome College Table Tennis Championships

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Sponsor Corner
Special thanks to our sponsors, Butterfly and Newgy!

NCTTA, would like to thank Butterfly for its support of college table tennis. Butterfly is the exclusive NCTTA League and Championship Equipment sponsor for the 2011-2012 season. Grab all your favorite Butterfly equipment in the online Butterfly store.

Also, special thanks to NEWGY Industries, for its continued support of college table tennis Newgy offers a great way to fundraise for your club and help out our sponsor as well by signing up and participating in their Newgy Robo Pong Affiliate Program.

Toronto Rises to Top in Great Lakes Regional
By Andy Kanengiser, Media Relations Chair

A powerful University of Toronto table tennis team left its opponents singing the blues in the NCTTA’s Great Lakes regional championship. That’s fitting because Toronto’s sports teams, are called the Blues.

Toronto’s coed and women’s teams both finished No. 1 in the region. In singles battles, the script was no different. Toronto’s Aaron Wong captured first-place with second going to teammate Michael Zhang. In women’s singles, Toronto’s Vivien Zhou was first, with Alexandra Lesieur emerging as the event’s runner-up.

Results from the late February tournament clearly show it was a clear cut Canadian blowout. Several US teams that performed well in divisional play, “got smoked” by Canadian squads in the regional, says Lillian Yu, the Great Lakes regional director. A former star table tennis player at the University of Toronto, Yu says her alma mater will now head to the NCTTA’s national championships in Plano, Texas in April. But some of their talented friends from other Canadian schools will be making the trip, too.

Known as one of Canada’s outstanding research institutions, the University of Montreal finished second in the coed team rankings, with McGill taking third place. Both schools will advance to the NCTTA’s national championships for the first time, Yu noted.

Waterloo University finished 4th in the men’s/coed team event, with Ohio State 5th. On the women’s side of the ledger, Concordia took 3rd with Ohio State 4th, and McGill rounding out the top 5.

Lindenwood Captures Midwest Regional
By Andy Kanengiser, Media Relations Chair

Lindenwood University, the school from the Show Me State, showed out at the NCTTA’s Midwest Regional Championship.

When all was said and done, Lindenwood finished No. 1 in the men’s/coed team competition with Governors State taking the second spot. Based in Saint Charles, Mo., Lindenwood also captured first in the women’s division, and scored solid triumphs in singles play.

In men’s singles, Fernando Yamazato and Venkat Ramesh were the top two finishers from Lindenwood, with teammates like Everton Wilson II, David Cabera and Munkhbold Bayarsaikhan rounding out the top five. In women’s singles, Lindenwood’s Karin Fukushima was No. 1, followed by Kangkang Huang of DePaul at No. 2, and Leine Agata and Michelle John of Lindenwood taking 3rd and 4th. Luwen Zhang of Wichita State finished 5th.

Wichita State deserves mention for being fierce road warriors. Their team made a whopping twelve-hour drive from their university in Kansas. And that’s just one way! Wichita’s table tennis team featured a pretty unique father-son combination, Don and Kyle Beckstrom.

Read more ...

New York City Takes In Northeast Regionals
By Andy Kanengiser, Media Relations Chair

Not very far from the bright lights of Broadway, the NCTTA’s Northeast Regional tournament took center stage in America’s biggest city.

Table tennis fans visiting New York City’s Fashion Institute of Technology saw Princeton’s coed team narrowly defeat Columbia to win the first Northeast Regional Championship. It came down to a thrilling doubles match on that Sunday to decide the outcome with Princeton’s Tigers clawing their way to an 11-9 victory in the 5th game. Give the Columbia Lions lots of credit for putting up a good fight in this clash of Ivy League rivals in their New York hometown.

Princeton, Columbia and Brown now advance to the NCTTA’s national championships in Plano, Texas in April. Other coed teams competing in the Northeast regional included Boston University, Northeastern, Harvard, MIT, Rutgers and NYU.

Among other NYC highlights from February 19th, were several intense matches in the women’s division. In the end, NYU finished on top with a win over MIT. New Jersey’s biggest state university, Rutgers finished 3rd with Tufts ending the day in 4th place.
Singles action brought more excitement to the table in the Big Apple.

In men’s singles, Amaresh Sahu of Princeton defeated Wesley Fan of Boston University, while Stephen Le of Rutgers captured third place with a win over Brown’s Jurica Bulovic. In women’s singles, Yanhung “Haley” Huang of Northeastern University in Boston defeated Stephanie Shih of Columbia in the finals. Third place went to Vanessa Petroj of Connecticut with a win over her opponent (Yeueh) from Rutgers.

Hats off to Wayne Chin, the FIT coach and his players, says NCTTA Recruitment Director Edmund Toomey who was on hand for the event. They deserve much thanks for helping set up and take down the 15 tables among other efforts to make this NCTTA tournament a first-class affair on FIT’s Manhattan campus.

Northeast Regionals photo gallery

Texas Wesleyan Triumphs at South Regionals
By Andy Kanengiser, Media Relations Chair

A twelve-hour road trip to the South’s NCTTA regionals in Atlanta obviously didn’t tire out Texas Wesleyan, the defending national champs. In fact, the Rams showed enormous energy and stormed their way to victory on a weekend when deadly tornadoes hit parts of the South and Midwest. From strong singles play by TWU’s Jose Barbosa and Sara Hazinski on the women’s side to the powerful punch of its talented teams, the visitors from the Fort Worth campus were a mighty force all day in the Peach State.

Mississippi College took second and the Texas Longhorns grabbed the third spot. The trio of coed teams will next travel to the Nationals in Plano, Texas April 13-15. Rounding out the top eight in coed competition were Central Florida, Florida, Northern Florida, Georgia Tech and Florida State.

After driving home from Georgia in second place, Mississippi College coach Ken Qiu said the Choctaws gained valuable experience knocking heads with the national champs. Qiu is the MC team architect of a Mississippi College team that will be heading to the Nationals for the 5th year in a row. “When I saw our players competing with TWU players, it gave us some confidence and hope that we are able to compete with them at nationals,” he said.

In men’s singles, TWU’s standout Jose Barbosa of Brazil finished first, just ahead of teammates Yahao Zhang and Andreas Ball. TWU players Zhedi Bai and Razvan Cretu placed sixth and seventh to also qualify for the nationals.

On the women’s side of the ledger, TWU’s Sara Hazinski took the top spot in singles with teammate Kristen Thorn placing 7th. The Lady Rams were bested by the Texas Longhorns in the women’s team competition. The TWU women’s team faces a bit of a rebuilding season after losing two very strong seniors from last season. Georgia State finished in third place, nabbing the final nationals spot.

Rockford Selected to Host 2013 Championships
By Andy Kanengiser, Media Relations Chair

Rockford hosts the biggest music festival in Illinois and is the hometown of an AHL hockey team known as the Rockford IceHogs. The north central Illinois city of more than 150,000 people is also the hometown of the famous rock group Cheap Trick.

In April 2013, Rockford gains another distinction as host of the NCTTA’s 2013 championship games. The best collegiate players in the USA and Canada will be visiting the north central Illinois city for three fantastic days of table tennis next spring. NCTTA leaders selected Rockford over seven other competing sites across the United States, including cities in such states as Florida, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Minnesota, and New Mexico.

NCTTA President Willy Leparulo thanked all eight USA cities for recently submitting bid proposals and taking the time to turn in a massive amount of paperwork. The proposals covered everything from facility lighting to floor space, from area restaurants and cultural attractions to details about transportation, overnight lodging and other amenities.
But, as is the case, every year, only one site could be selected for the three days of fancy paddles, awesome spins and powerful slams.

Rockford’s proposal stood out in the eyes of most NCTTA voters.

“Rockford has a nice setup with the hotel and venue so close to each other,” Leparulo said. It puts the major hotel and facilities for table tennis within walking distance, which is something that NCTTA players, coaches and fans haven’t experienced at recent championships.

There will be plenty to do for Rockford visitors when they are not playing, watching or dreaming table tennis. City leaders suggest checking out Jane, the 66 million-year-old dinosaur at the Burpee Museum of Natural History. The City of Gardens offers 7,000 acres of parkland, tree-lined streets and an exceptionally green downtown. Go see the Anderson Japanese Gardens. Rockford’s sports facilities are first-class. Rockford life centers around the Rock River.

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