EAU CLAIRE, WI: Texas Wesleyan University remained atop the College Table Tennis World by sweeping both the Coed and Women's Team titles at the 2017 TMS College Table Tennis National Championships on Sunday. In total the Rams won five of the six titles decided in Eau Claire this weekend.
The Rams took home the hardware for coed team, women's team, men's singles, men's doubles, and women's doubles. The team was just a breath away from sweeping all six titles as Texas Wesleyan was narrowly defeated in the women's singles championship match.
With college table tennis becoming more and more competitive each season, this marks the first time that Texas Wesleyan has won at least five titles in a season since they last won six (then 6-of-7) in 2011.
A team match in college table tennis is a best of five scenario consisting of four singles matches and one doubles match (if necessary). This year, the Rams dispensed with all the drama of the last two seasons (in which they won a title and lost a title to Mississippi College in epic 3-2 battles). The Coed Team found no need to go to doubles as they marched through the championship bracket with three 3-0 victories in succession over the University of Texas, Ohlone College, and the University of California (Berkeley). Second seeded Cal knocked off Mississippi College 3-2 in the semifinals denying the Choctaws bid for a rematch.
This was the second consecutive and 13th overall Coed Team title for Texas Wesleyan.
Meanwhile the Lady Rams took the title for the second year in a row and the seventh time in program history. The Lady Rams topped UC Davis 3-0 in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, they got all they could handle from Cal, but the Rams topped the Bears in doubles to take the match 3-2. Again the Rams needed no theatrics in the final as they defeated second seeded Ohlone 3-0.
Five titles this season gives Texas Wesleyan a total of 65 national championships since the program's inception in 2002. The Rams have won at least one championship in each of the program's 16 years of existence.
Ramblings
- Breaking down Texas Wesleyan's 65 championships: 13 Coed Team, 7 Women's Team, 11 Men's Singles, 8 Women's Singles, 10 Men's Doubles, 9 Women's Doubles, 8 Mixed Doubles (discontinued in 2012).
- The Rams have swept all titles in a season once in program history when the 2007 team went 7-for-7.
2017 TMS College Table Tennis National Champions
Coed Team: Texas Wesleyan
Women's Team: Texas Wesleyan
Men's Singles: Jishan Liang – Texas Wesleyan
Women's Singles: Lily Zhang – University of California
Men's Doubles: Jishan Liang / Zhe Feng - Texas Wesleyan
Women's Doubles: Chen Wang / Yue Wu - Texas Wesleyan
