If you happened to be in Stark Recreation Center this past Saturday, you probably heard rowdy hoots and loud hollering. That is because the MSMS Ping Pong Club held its first tournament of the year. Interested participants signed up and were placed in brackets against an opponent.

“The brackets were randomly generated and adjusted to be completely fair,” said Tournament coordinator Allen Lin.

This is the second year for the MSMS Ping Pong Club and they have had a number of tournaments throughout the year.

When asked to explain the rules, Co-President Meilun Zhou , “Ping Pong is a fast-paced sport where you smack a ball around. Rules can be loose or strict depending on the setting we’re playing in. Strict rules dictate that we have to throw the ball out of our hand to serve. Games are usually to 11 points, with each person serving 2 points.”

Co-President Cole Borek said, “The goal for Ping Pong Club this year is to provide a fun environment in which students can come to relieve stress by hitting a little round ball around. Ping Pong Club plans on hosting several tournaments this year for students to compete against each other. We encourage everyone to come out to the tournaments to either play or root for your friends.”

Borek was also the winner of the tournament on Saturday, winning 5 consecutive rounds to come out on top.

“There was a very good turnout this weekend. There were at least 30 participants including Mr. Crowson, the new Computer Science Instructor, and many spectators. It was pretty intense, and we had some really close games. There were definitely some talented juniors such as Noah McKone who played a fantastic game against Co-President Zhou. I am really looking forward to a great year with this group.”

They hope to host another tournament in September.