Ping pong tournament fosters competition

The Pit held a ping-pong tournament Thursday night. Forty-eight students entered the competition and many more gathered around the tables to cheer on their favorite player. Competitors were ready to show off their skills demonstrating they are the best player on campus.   

Students packed around five tables and filled the stairs. The first round of the tournament began with a game to 21 and then rounds two and three were played best two out of three. Round after round players were eliminated only to reveal the best of the best.

Players looked eye-to-eye as they agreed on a pong toss to see who started with the serve. Game faces were on all night, as everyone knew the competition would be fierce.

“Everyone in the quarter finals was skilled,” Neil Lin, junior of Taichung, Taiwan, said.

Lin embraced his background as he fought for the championship title against sophomore Evan Smith, of Gillette, Wyoming. It was a close game as both players had their adrenaline rushing and were dripping in sweat from the intensity. It was Lin, who took the first game, then Smith took the second game and Lin won the third and final game to secure first place earning a $50 gift card to Walmart.

Not only did Lin win this year’s ping-pong tournament, but he has also brought home the championship title three times before that. Lots of practice, five years of experience and a power nap is all Lin needed to prepare for this tournament.

In a tremendous show of good sportsmanship, this tournament concluded with a group photo of the quarterfinalists. Congratulations were shared by each on a tournament well played.