News Detail
Ping Pong Team Clinches Golden Paddle for Ninth Straight Year
On January 26, Loyola Academy’s Ping Pong team captured the coveted Golden Paddle after defeating St. Ignatius College Prep. The win represents the Ramblers’ ninth victory in as many years—the team has not lost an annual “Battle for the Paddle” match against St. Ignatius since the event’s inception in 2009.
To capture this year’s title, the Ramblers won twenty-six matches and lost only one to the Wolfpack. Games are played to eleven points, and each match is determined by best three of five games.
“It’s always been a friendly competition,” says Mr. John Rank of the English Department, who has moderated the Ping Pong Club since 2001. “A camaraderie and tradition have developed over time.” Notably, Rank was trained by the assistant to the U.S. Olympic Coach, Mark Nordby.
The club turned competitive in 2009 when two brothers—one a student at Loyola, the other at St. Ignatius—challenged each other to a cross-town ping pong tournament. Ignatius created a championship trophy, the golden paddle, as a symbol of Jesuit table tennis supremacy in Chicago. To date, Loyola remains undefeated.
After this first match, the Ramblers were invited to join the Interscholastic Table Tennis Illinois (ITTI) league, the only ongoing league for high school competition in Illinois. Loyola won the first state championship in 2010, defeating Stevenson High school 8-7.
Since then, the team has captured additional state champion titles in 2015 and 2016.
“The past two years have been a lot of fun because our team has won the state championship both times,” says Ping Pong Club Vice President Tommy Sullivan ’18. “Although we faced stiff competition both years, our team effort prevailed.”
For their win in 2016, the Ping Pong team was honored at the school pep rally. “The recognition that the Ramblers Ping Pong team received at our school pep rally was a major moment for us,” says Rank. “Everyone on the team was proud to be recognized by the LA student body and happy to be given a chance to demonstrate their skills for the school. We look forward to continuing to carry on the tradition of many Loyola sports teams: as champions!”
The 2017 state championship will be held at Loyola on Saturday, February 25, and the Ramblers have every intention of defending their reign. As they had done before state in 2016, the team will gather for dinner and practice the night before. “We have been putting in extra hours of practice to achieve our goal of defending the state title,” Sullivan ’18 says.
Currently, Loyola is tied for first place with Naperville North as they head into the last three weeks of the season.
Loyola Ping Pong Team members include: Club President Luke Michels '17, Club Vice President Tommy Sullivan '18, Nick Goschi '17, Colin Orloski '17, Mike Largay '19, John Carpenter '19, Andrew Paden '18, Max Schraeder '17, Sean Richards '17, Brendan Schafer '18, Mike Reardon '19, Dan Curran '18, Ryan Reardon '19, Alan Arocho '17, Julian Hilpuesch '17, Kevin Meehan '17.
Loyola Ping Pong Team members include: Club President Luke Michels '17, Club Vice President Tommy Sullivan '18, Nick Goschi '17, Colin Orloski '17, Mike Largay '19, John Carpenter '19, Andrew Paden '18, Max Schraeder '17, Sean Richards '17, Brendan Schafer '18, Mike Reardon '19, Dan Curran '18, Ryan Reardon '19, Alan Arocho '17, Julian Hilpuesch '17, Kevin Meehan '17.
The Rambler Ping Pong Team holds tryouts every fall and meets in the cafeteria on Mondays and Wednesdays. Both girls and boys are eligible to play. Interscholastic matches take place throughout the winter. To learn more, contact Head Coach Mr. John Rank at jrank@loy.org.
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