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The TTC@UWM was founded in 2001 by
Professors Mike Bartl and T.J. Wang in order to provide a positive outlet for
table tennis players within the UWM and Milwaukee community. The club was able
to secure school funding and new equipment including tables, nets, and a newgy
2040 robot. In November 2001, the first UWM Table Tennis Open was
held in the UWM ballroom. This tournament was the largest in Wisconsin in over
10 years. Over 80 players from Wisconsin and Illinois participated.
In 2002 the club was able to obtain
sponsorship from Stiga, one of the largest table tennis companies in the world. With Stiga’s help, the club was able to acquire more
high quality equipment at bargain
prices. The second annual UWM Open was held in November, 2002. We had a great
turnout with a lot of new faces. The club grew steadily in 2002 and by the
end of the year, the club had nearly 200 members.
In January of 2003 Mike Bartl stepped down as president in
order to concentrate on his Ph.D. in Mathematics. The club elected Mike Bernhard as new
President. The 2003 Spring Open was held on March 1st. The tournament
was won by our very own Mike Bartl.
A monumental step will be taken when the club hosts its
first USATT sanctioned tournament on May 24, 2003. Players from all over the
Midwest descended on UWM to compete for their share of $800 in prize money.
In 2004 the club hosted its second sanctioned
tournament, Milwaukee March Madness. The tournament featured more than $1000 in
prize money over a two-day period.
In 2005
the club joined the National Collegiate Table Tennis Association and currently
plays in the Midwest Division of the NCTTA.
For the future the club hopes to:
- continue its high level
of success at the collegiate level
- Add more members (especially youth and UWM students)
- Host 2-3 tournaments per year
- Organize league play for better competition
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