The Chinese Club recently completed its fifth annual ping pong tournament, a competition that drew over 30 competitors.

The annual tournaments have been organized by the Schneider brothers, according to Mrs. Jane Hall, one of the club advisers. The brothers organize the brackets and set up the entire competition.

Ping pong is more or less a family event for the Schneiders.  In fact, the family has visited China where the Schneider boys actually played at the Ping Pong Academy. The entire second floor of a hotel was filled with ping pong tables and people, explained freshman Alan Schneider.

The three brothers Alan, senior Will and their middle school brother have a ping pong table in their basement where they have a family tournament almost every weekend.

Alan began playing because of his older brother’s influence. Here at NDA, Will has won the Chinese Club ping pong tournaments the past three years.

“My goal is always to beat my older brother,” said Alan, who finished second to him in the recent NDA tournament.

Mrs. Hall said the popularity of ping pong in China contributed to the club’s idea of a tournament.

In addition to Will Schneider’s first place finish, other top finishers were his brother Alan in second place; Vit Nosek in third place; Bergin Olson in fourth; Will Templeton, fifth; and Erik Sladky, sixth.

Myles Krzewinski and Nosek won the doubles bracket with Olson and Templeton finishing second.

This year’s tournament gave Father Raj Christian the opportunity to play for the first time in fifteen years.

He used to play when he was in the seminary but was only able to play for about three months.

“I would definitely do the tournament next year,” said Father Christian.