The first ever St. Paul’s School Ping Pong Tournament began in September and will continue through November. Conducted by the “Wolves of Fury” ping pong club, the tournament consists of students from all grades coming together to compete to see which individual is the best.

Students of all ages joined the tournament just for the fun of competing with fellow classmates.

“I’m moving up in the ranks,” junior Zach Russ said. “I’m going against top notch guys, and I haven’t played in a year, but I am not nervous, not one bit.”

As the competition continues to heat up, all of the tough opponents prove themselves through victory. Competitors such as the tennis players, who have experience with the game, prove to be hard to beat.

“I think I have a good chance of winning,” junior Patrick Saucier said. “I’ve been playing tennis since I was one, and I’ve been smoking these eighth graders.”

Many students have waited for this opportunity for a long time; some players are in it for the glory of victory, and some for the prize at the end.

“The biggest thing in tournaments is the prize money, which is a $20 gift card,” Russ said.

A lot of work was put into setting this tournament up by the Wolves of Fury members. It was set up to go for about two months, with matches playing every Tuesday and Thursday in the new gym. Kyle Schmidt was put in charge of the tournament and has been keeping track of the outcome of all the matches.

“I really like ping pong, and I wanted to bring it to the school,” junior Kyle Schmidt said. “My money is on Kent Shiell.”

The tournament began with 52 student contenders, the majority of which are eighth graders. Very large crowds have gathered at times to watch close matches between two good opponents. Students coming to watch during lunch seemed dumbfounded when seeing the skill of some of the more experienced players.

“These kids are amazing,” junior Alex Krake said.

The tournament will continue through November until the championship when the two best players will play each other to see who is the ultimate ping pong player.