CONTACT: Kevin Li PHONE: (800) 581-6770 EMAIL: championships@nctta.org

2011 College Table Tennis National Championships

April 15-17, 2011 in Rochester, MN
www.nctta.org/champs/2011

APRIL 16, 2011

Men’s Doubles Features Quadruple Texas Power

Hazinski/Zhang Capture Men’s Doubles Title In All-Texas Wesleyan Final

With a whopping four men’s doubles teams qualifying for the 2011 College Table Tennis Championships, including 3 of the top 10 seeds, it came as little surprise to see a Texas Wesleyan team in the men’s doubles final. But two Texas Wesleyan teams making it to the Championship match seemed more improbable, considering strong teams from Lindenwood, Mississippi College, and Princeton they’d have to overcome.

But as the men’s doubles draw progressed, it became clear that the Texas Wesleyan teams were well prepared and their doubles partners were in sync. 4th-seeded Jose Barbosa/Lukasz Fita of Texas Wesleyan upset 2nd-seeded Paulo Rocha/Fernando Yamazato of Lindenwood 3-1 in the semifinals, with the latter pair occasionally looking confused and out of sorts.

The top seed paired veteran Mark Hazinski with rookie Yahao Zhang, fresh out of a stellar junior career. The duo had a relatively uneventful route to the finals where they defeated their compatriots Barbosa and Fita in four games.

Texas Wesleyan coach Ketih Evans relayed the importance of proper doubles practice. “Doubles is a very important aspect of the college table tennis season.” In team competition, doubles is the deciding match when tied 2-2 after singles.

The 2011 College Table Tennis Championships ran from Friday April 15th and through Sunday April 17th at the Regional Sports Center in Rochester, Minneosta.

Organized by the National Collegiate Table Tennis Association (NCTTA), the Championships are sponsored by Killerspin, a Chicago-based table tennis firm and Newgy Industries (Gallatin, TN). The event is also supported by the Association of College Unions International (ACUI) and by USA Table Tennis, the national governing body for table tennis in the US.

About NCTTA

The National Collegiate Table Tennis Association (NCTTA) is a non-profit organization established exclusively for promoting the sport of table tennis at the college level. As the national governing body for college table tennis in the United States and Canada, NCTTA organizes intercollegiate competition throughout North America. www.nctta.org

About USA Table Tennis

Headquartered in Colorado Springs, USATT is the national organizing body for table tennis in the United States, serving 9,000+ members and nearly 300 clubs. USATT sanctions 200+ events a year including the US Open and US Nationals. USATT is affiliated with the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), as well as the United States Olympic Committee (USOC). www.usatt.org & tabletennis.teamusa.org

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