MC Table Tennis Team Showcased in Clinton

From left to right: MC players Qing Wei Sun, Yi Chi Zhang (2016 national men's singles champ), Coach & Captain Cheng Li and Tong Zhang. They are pictured with tournament sponsors at the national championships in Round Rock, Texas March 25-27. MC finished as the No. 2 team among colleges in North America.

Mississippi College’s fabulous table tennis will be showcased at two events in Clinton this week.

After finishing 2^nd in North America at the 2016 collegiate championship games in Texas, the MC squad display their amazing skills at an exhibition at Morrison Heights Baptist Church on April 6.

It should be a real treat for the church’s children’s choirs that invited the MC stars. The action Wednesday evening begins at 6 p.m. at the Children’s Theater. Led by Coach and Captain Cheng Li, the Choctaws team will also give practice and equipment tips to the kids. And they will talk about winning the national championship for the first time in 2015.

In addition, MC junior Yi Chi Zhang will talk about his triumph at the tournament in late March as North America’s men’s singles champion. Others on the university’s team are: Qing Wei Sun, an 18-year-old freshman, and Tong Zhang. All four MC players are natives of China where table tennis remains the national sport. The students all began playing the Olympic sport at a young age.

At the three-day National Collegiate Table Tennis Association tournament in Round Rock, Texas, the MC team came very close to winning a second straight championship. For the 5^th year in a row, MC battled rival Texas Wesleyan in the finals. This year, the Texas Wesleyan Rams squad from Fort Worth edged Mississippi College. MC beat out teams like New York University, Southern California, UCLA, Michigan, Toronto, and Duke, to name a few.

“It was another fantastic season by Mississippi College,” said table tennis team sponsor Andy Kanengiser. “People on the Clinton campus are proud of their accomplishments and the way they represent Mississippi College to national and international audiences. We are truly fortunate to have four outstanding student-athletes from China.”

The finals were watched by fans around the globe on live streaming.

Players on the MC team will also be among the students featured at the university’s annual International Festival at Swor Auditorium on April 8. Beginning at 6:30 p.m., the Friday evening program includes a fashion show and spotlights the musical talents of MC students from China, India, Saudi Arabia and other countries.

The festival is sponsored by the Office of Global Education. Ticket prices vary. Proceeds will boost scholarships for MC international students. Audience members are invited to sample delicious food from around the world at a reception in the Nelson Hall lobby following the show.

For more information on the International Festival, contact Christina Bach at 601-925-7762 or cbach@mc.edu