The Texas Wesleyan table tennis program secured four championship wins and proved to be heavy hitters at the 2019 iSET College Table Tennis National Championships held this past weekend in Greensboro, North Carolina.
With a strong showing in all divisions at the collegiate tournament, Texas Wesleyan’s table tennis team, The Rams has now clinched 73 national championships.
Along with the four championship titles out of the total six events, the team also won two silvers and two bronze medals.
The iSET College Table Tennis Championships, hosted by the National Collegiate Table Tennis Association, is the premier table tennis tournament in North America in the college level.
“The competition was extremely strong this year, but our student-athletes fought hard,” The Rams Head Coach Jasna Rather said. “Our teams turned what seemed like impossible situations into wins and brought championship titles back the Texas Wesleyan.”
The tournament features 50 of the top college teams from the U.S. and Canada. USA Table Tennis, an affiliate of United States Olympic Committee, co-sponsored the tournament.
In the coed team bracket, Rams did not concede a single set until the final match. The Rams coed team won the final set 3-1 against Mississippi College.
The Rams dominated the men’s singles event, taking three of the final four spots. Teammates Jiang Niu and Jishan Liang competed against each other in the final.
Liang then teamed with Jinxin Wang to win the men’s doubles event.
The women’s team event saw the Rams retain their championship with a 3-1 win against the University of California.
“The competition is getting tougher and tougher each year, with players from national teams joining college teams,” said women’s Head Coach Teodor Gheorghe. “The whole event is becoming more professional and better organized.”
The Texas Wesleyan team now looks forward to the International Table Tennis Federation’s 55th World Table Tennis Championship, which starts from Sunday, April 21.
2019 iSET NCTTA national champions
Coed Team – Texas Wesleyan
Women’s Team – Texas Wesleyan
Women’s Singles – Qiao Jiao (Ohlone College)
Men’s Singles – Jishan Jiang (Texas Wesleyan)
Women’s Doubles – Angela Guan/Ying Wang (California)
Men’s Doubles – Jinxin Wang/Jishan Liang (Texas Wesleyan)
Texas Wesleyan student-athletes who earned medals
2019 Men’s Singles Silver – Jiang Niu
2019 Men’s Singles Bronze – Jinxin Wang
2019 Women’s Singles Silver – Wenting Zha
2019 Women’s Doubles Bronze – Wenting Zha and Ana Aleksandric