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CONTACT: Willy Leparulo PHONE: (800) 581-6770 EMAIL: championships@nctta.org |
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2011 College Table
Tennis National Championships April 15-17, 2011
in Rochester, MN
**NEWS RELEASE** APRIL 9, 2011
Road Trip Anyone? Tough
Economy Drives Teams to the Roads for the 2011 Championships
The
phrase “college road trip” often summons thoughts of raucous journeys to
sometimes nebulous destinations. Even inspired a 2008 movie of the same name
starring Martin Lawrence. And while the destination is clearer and the
prospect of missed matches may nix any unplanned detours, several teams are
organizing their own road trips to the 2011 College Table Tennis
Championships. Location
and distance are no match for the passion and excitement that the
Championships create every year. Schools from as far west as University of
Washington, as far north as Ottawa, and as far south as Gainesville, Florida
will all be in attendance at the 2011 Championships. Most
will be flying. TSA hassles aside, flying into Rochester International
airport or even Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport is still the most
convenient option. This
year, however, the tough economy is causing teams to take to the roads in
surprising numbers as they make their way to the Championships. Five
championships qualifiers from the “land of 10,000 lakes” be in attendance and
their drives range from 15 minutes (Rochester Community and Technical
College) to a couple of hours away (Minnesota, Minnesota State, St. Mary’s,
Augsberg College). At
the other end of the spectrum is the team from Binghamton University, whose
drive time clocks in at 17 hours for the 1000 mile trek from Upstate New
York. “Compared to immediate alternatives, driving was the most economical
and flexible,” explains Binghamton captain Li He on the decision to drive. Part
of the State University of New York (SUNY) system, Binghamton was unable to
provide sufficient funding for more traditional travel for the team. State
university budgets across the country have often felt the pinch of the
economic downturn and state government budget shortfalls. “In
line with the NCTTA mission statement, our team is determined to embrace the
sport through action,” says He, putting a positive spin on what could
otherwise be a trying situation. Win or lose at the main event, it looks like
the Binghamton Table Tennis team will have a road trip to remember this
April.
Players and spectators
alike will enjoy a jam-packed weekend of table tennis at the 2011 College
Table Tennis Championships. The event starts Friday April 15th and continues
to 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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