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.

“They [Governors State] did it right,’’ said Upper Midwest Division Director Linda Leaf.

At the same time, there was a fabulous youth tournament organized by Ed Hogshead of the Rockford Table Tennis Club in Illinois. The youngsters enjoyed every moment. “They learned they can go to college and play table tennis,” Leaf said.

The competition featured a few special guests, including former world table tennis champion Liu Guozheng, who is now a visiting student in a special program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. GSU also showed off ten new tables with new barriers for the event.

Led by founding father and college professor T.J. Wang, the Governors State team has come a long way in a short period of time. And the performance of GSU’s twelve-member table tennis team at the regional was proof.

Now GSU wants to really step things up and show off its extraordinary talents at the 2011 Nationals in Rochester, Minnesota in April!

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