Princeton grabs second at nationals

Photo by Shin Jae Won

Freshman Adam Hugh (l.) and sophomore Pan Lin practice the skills that led the club table tennis team to second at nationals.

Think about what would happen if Lebron James had put off the NBA and played college basketball. Now, of all things, apply that scene of destruction to table tennis. That is the kind of talent Princeton's club table tennis team has right now in one player alone, so it goes without saying that collectively the Tigers are doing quite a number on the competition.

The team finished second for the first time at the National Championships held in Fort Worth, Texas, on April 10. The squad was led by freshman phenom and captain Adam Hugh, who finished second in singles. Sophomore Pan Lin, senior Jason Cherry and graduate student Ram Rangan also represented Princeton at nationals. Together, they finished second as a team, with Hugh and Lin joining forces to capture third place in doubles.

"My style in table tennis would be described as a two-winged looper, with my forehand and backhand sides attacking and on offense," Hugh said. "One great thing about table tennis is that there are so many different styles. Your strategy can completely change depending on who you're playing, and I don't think you really get that anywhere else."

Though undoubtedly impressive in its own right, Princeton's finish is stunning considering its main competition. Texas Wesleyan University, the school that captured the title, is the only American university that awards scholarships for table tennis and actively recruits top-tier players from all over the world.

Eric Owens, the player who beat Hugh for the title, had already won three consecutive collegiate championships to go along with his 2001 U.S. national championship. The match came down to the wire with a final score of 3-2, and could well have gone the other way.

"Since everything is so miniaturized, there's almost no margin of error," Hugh said.

Hugh had been recuperating from an ankle injury at the time of his match with Owens, something that can prove very costly in a sport where the lower-body is so crucial.

"You have to be very strong in your lower body," Hugh said. "I do a lot of jump-roping and squats to strengthen my legs. When you get to a higher level, it really does matter. You've got to be quick on your feet and have a strong core."

The game of table tennis has evolved into a highly competitive game that demands both great physical skill and mental prowess.

"When it's being played by true masters, it's astounding to watch. The ball spins and darts from side to side with amazing precision and speed," sophomore vice president Aaron Souza said. "The entirety of the game takes place in a very small area, but there's a lot of intensity and skill contained therein."

All things considered, Hugh and the rest of the Tigers had a phenomenal showing.

"This season was very satisfying," Rangan said. "I will be graduating at the end of this summer and it is always good to go out on a positive note."

For Rangan, this season is the culmination of what has been a turbulent three-year career. For two of those years, the Tigers were only points away from qualifying for nationals. This year, though, all the hard work finally paid off. The Orange and Black's top seed in the Mid-Atlantic Division of the National Collegiate Table Tennis Association assured them the nationals bid that had so carefully eluded them in the past.

On a more personal note, Rangan finished with a win over a longtime rival.

"I was pleased with my win over Casey Ching of UPenn, a player with a prolific collegiate record," Rangan said. "Even though I have had several close matches with him in the past, I have always ended up losing to him. So, I was glad to end on a winning note."

While this season marks a fantastic end for Rangan and Cherry, it marks a new beginning for Princeton's program and a very promising future for Lin and Hugh.

But greatness in this sport is something that is far from unfamiliar to Hugh. His mother was a two-time table tennis Olympian, and his stepfather was also an accomplished player.

"My mom got me into playing," Hugh said. "When I started, I was about nine years old. Being a player and coach, she definitely influenced me to play. I got into it quickly and stuck with it."

Hugh also receives help at home from a little sibling rivalry.

"My sister and I are practice partners at home, so I don't have to go too far to play. You're with your family all the time, it's pretty nice," said Hugh, whose sister is the No. 1 junior in the country.

Hugh is currently in Bremen, Germany, where he is competing for the United States at the World Team Championships (WTC). He also made the national team two years ago as a 16-year-old, when he participated in the WTC in Qatar.

"It's my second world championships, and this time I think I'll make more of an impact," Hugh said. "Last time I was the fifth-ranked player, this time I'm ranked third."

The men's team is playing in the second division and is in a draw group along with India, Finland, Singapore, Bulgaria and Turkey. There are 146 teams in total, representing nearly every country in the world. Hugh left for Germany on April 24 and will stay there to compete until May 1.

"I've never been to Germany, so I'm really excited about that," Hugh said. "I get to represent my country and see the world as well."

Despite Hugh's prowess in the sport, he is still constantly working on his game.

"I'd like to improve on judging the bounce and where the ball's going," Hugh said. "I'd also like to have better game awareness."

To that end, practice will play an invaluable role in raising the Tigers' level of play.

"For me and most of the players here, we need to find more time to practice," Hugh said. "If we do, everything else will fall into place."

It seems like everything is already falling into place for the Tigers, who up until this year had not competed in team nationals since 1995.

"Our club is entering exciting times in its history," junior president John Son said. "At the same time [as our success this year], an alumnus has provided our club with more funds to implement more of the goals we have wished to implement for some time. Without a doubt, table tennis at Princeton University has entered a golden age."

With Lin and Hugh set to compete in the World University Games in July, and another highly accomplished player, Eric Finkelstein, set to attend the University as a freshman next fall, this could very well be just the beginning.