CHRIS
ALMIGHTY!!!!
Chris Applegate went from gameday-dropout to Ahle-Classic Champion
in a matter of hours. League sources are reporting that Chris sent a text to a league official thirty minutes before
the tournament that read "I can't make it, I'm nursing an injury." The PPP World was shocked, and was left with a huge
hole in the bracket. However, as the day progressed, Applegate contacted the league sources and informed them that he
planned on playing through the "injury." So Chris Applegate, former Chao-Cup silver medalist, was prepared to compete
for the Ahle Tournament title. Applegate did make it interesting though for the PPPASJ. "I didn't plan on sitting
out, but the leg was really bothering me and I couldn't see myself playing through it. But as the day went on, I could
taste the PPP atmosphere and I needed to play." These are the kind of words that define PPP Greats. A truly phenomenal
performance by a second year PPP player who has already won a major championship. Applegate's gameplay has changed,
however, from the Chao-Cup 08. He has developed a Lutz-Like consistency that he uses to wear out opponents. This
was the perfect way for Applegate to solidify his rank after a somewhat disappointing performance in the Championship round
of the MMS tournament.
Once again, the second place title would be determined by an overtime
sudden death match. This time, however, it was not Weng and Roselli, but rather Ahle and Weng. After many great
rallies, Ahle reigned victorious, as Weng settled for another disappointing performance, and yet another tournament without
a first place trophy. Ahle backed up his MMS Championship with a solid second place performance, and is hoping to receive
the #1 rank when the rankings are released. As for Weng, we cannot ignore the fact that Weng has only won one championship
in his PPP career. Also, that championship was in the first ever tournament, with only 16 players. At that time,
players were not as advanced as they are now, so Weng's victory was not all that impressive. Weng is still a good player,
but the greatness is just not there anymore. Chao is quickly falling off the map of PPP Elites, and simply blending
in with the other good players. Weng always manages to place, but his determination to win a tournament deserves to
be questioned at this point.
Doug Baals made a solid showing, defeating MMS Bronze medalist Rob
Roselli in the semifinals. Baals has developed a strong power shot, and was able to maintain consistency in this tournament.
Baals always had the talent, but was never able to get to the final round after his 2006 third place performance. Baals
has proven that he can compete with the best players in the world on the biggest stage.
Observations from tournament:
-Dave Albertson defeated Tim Hughes in a play-in match, shocking
the crowd in attendance. No one saw this coming, and Hughes was left to sulk in disappointment. Albertson gained
confidence, and although he did not win a title in his semifinal, he was able to keep up with the likes of Weng and Applegate.
Said Albertson: "I got in some good reps during the offseason, and I felt like I had to get better since other country farms
kids got better." A jump in the rankings is likely for Albertson, and a drop is expected and guaranteed for Hughes.
Hughes said of his performance, "Whatever dude, f**k this yo." Perhaps Hughes' criminal life is interferring with his
PPP focus. Only time will tell.
-After guaranteeing victory, Rob Roselli was unable to back up his
trash talking. A slow start killed Roselli, and although he made a strong push at the end, he simply fell short.
Asked about his guarantee, Roselli said, "Yeah, I was wrong. I'll eat my humble pie."
-Jeremy Eith seems to have lost his touch. He still has the
skills and potential, but until he unleashes that potential, he will simply never be able to repeat his championship appearance
in the Chaollenge Cup 08.
-Jack Conway? What happened to his epic performance at Eith's
arena when he almost defeated Weng and Apple? Who knows...
-McNair & Anderson NO SHOWS? Ryan McNair and Rob Anderson
have one thing in common. They both dropped out last minute before the tournament. Both have skill, but neither
has advanced any further than the quarterfinals in any tournament. The dedication just is not there.
Despite this year's name for the tournament, it was still somewhat
of a bust, but ultimately, the best players got to compete at a high level in a great arena. Jake Ahle is forced to
still dream of the day when his tournament venue reaps the success of a major tournament. There's always next August,
but for now, the PPPASJ is expected to take some time off before a fall/winter tournament. More time for Weng to figure
out what's wrong, for Hughes to sulk, for Ahle to petition for the #1 ranking, for Roselli to eat his humble pie, for Stash
to "rest," and for Applegate to bask in the glory of a PPP Championship.
Keep checking the site for power ranking
updates. Due to Monday's perplexing results, these will be the toughest rankings ever made, so the PPPASJ experts will
committ to producing the most accurate rankings
DIV>
possible.
ALL ABOUT AHLE
When Jake Ahle made his first appearance in
a PPP Tournament at the 2007 Chaollenge Cup, it was obvious that he had the potential to someday be a champion. However,
his dominant power shots were often overshaddowed by his inconsistency. This inconsistency was evident in the 2008 Chaollenge
Cup, as Ahle failed to get out of the Semifinals. But anyone that understands the game of PPP knew that it was only
a matter of time until Jake's talents emerged on a Championship level. Ahle reached this level on Thursday.
Jake Ahle always showed passion when playing the game of PPP. His trademark
"paddle chuck" after errors left two paddles on the roof of a house neighboring RR arena. But Jake was able to convert
this negative energy to positive energy on Thursday. Ahle took a quick lead in the Championship round, and never looked
back, defeating the field 9-6-6-3. "I knew I had the skills to win a title, but I could never really put it all together."
In 2007, Jake reached the finals, but was mostly hidden in the shaddow of the world's number one player, Ryan Lutz.
But Jake's rookie year was a sign of great things to come in the future. But now that Jake has reached the pinnacle
of Power Ping Pong bliss, where does he go from here? "I'm not sure how the rankings are gonna turn out and whatnot,
but if I do get that #1 ranking, it puts a big target on my back. People are going to be gunning for me just like they
do for Chao." As for Zechao Weng, he did not disappoint on Thursday. Although Chao's asian mentality considers
anything other than 1st place a failure, this tournament was a huge step forward for Weng after his disappointing 2008 ChaollengCup
Performance. "I want to win every time, but I'm definitely improving now. Jake's good, but he's beatable."
However, as well as Weng played, it took an overtime 1v1 victory over Rob Roselli to win him the 2nd place trophy.
Roselli was finally able to break his "fourth place curse" by placing 3rd on Thursday, but he expects more from himself in
upcoming tournaments. "it's great to get a trophy, but I lost focus in that OT match against Weng. I beat Jake
in the quarterfinal, and I lost to Weng in OT, so I know that when I want to be, I can better than these guys." Roselli
even took it a step further by guaranteeing a victory at Jake Ahle's 12 player tournament on Monday, August 25th. "This
Jake Ahle tourney is coming up, so I'm guaranteeing a first place finish in that tournament. Write it down, I guarantee
it." Bold statements from a player who has never placed higher than 3rd.
Chris Applegate, the 4th place finisher, did not really produce what he is
capable of producing. The talent is there, but on Thursday, it seemed that he played too conservative and strayed away
from what defined his success in the ChaoCup08, when he placed second. "I'm better than this but whatever" said Applegate.
One-liners from Thursday's performances:
-How about Chris Velarides? This guy is quickly becoming one of the
elite players in the PPPASJ. He is by far the most improved player since his rookie year.
-Baals is Back? Although he placed 3rd in his semifinal, it is obvious
to the PPP World that Doug Baals can compete with anyone. He was actually beating Weng and Roselli at one point in their
semifinal.
-Jack Conway had a very adequate performance. He did advance to the
semifinals, but clearly he was not at his best. It seems like he will never be able to top his 2008 Chaollenge Cup performance
when he nearly beat two top 3 players, but his chance for redemption will come on Monday in the Ahle Tournament.
-Eith's Disappointment- Jeremy Eith did not back up his 4th place chaollenge
cup performance. He seemed to never get in a groove, as Stash dominated their group, and Jeremy actually said of his
performance, "I played like poop."
-Improvements all around... Many players are getting better quickly.
A few notables are Matt Nardi, who has become a solid all around player, and Tim Hughes, who is making people forget about
his dogfighting and strip-club fight allegations. Rick Dalley is beginning to develop a nice arsenal of shots as
he continues to improve, as well as Tyler Powell. Also, Ryan McNair, who was one of the biggest Chaollenge Cup
2008 disappointments, is quickly climbinb in the rankings. He seems to have found his stroke again.
-Rookie Standouts: Many first-time players impressed on Thursday.
Rory McTear showed potential (the first lefty to ever play in a PPP Tournament), Brett Mealey, the young-buck, challenged
Applegate and shows promise as a future prospect, and Stuart Smith (Kyle SMith's dad) was able to compete with the younger,
quicker players and actually challenge some top-flight players such as McNair and Conway.
Overall, the Summer Classic @ MMS was a huge success. Many participants
commented on how much they enjoyed the event and look forward to the next tournament. Comcast Sportsnet covered the
event, and you can find the clip at youtube.com/kgtpuck .
EXCITEMENT BUILDS AS LUTZ-LESS SUMMER
CLASSIC APPROACHES
At this time (7:15pm) Thursday night, the Power Ping Pong Summer Classic
08 will be in full swing, eliminating players game by game, ultimately leading to the much-anticipated Championship round.
While the purpose of the event is to raise money for the Stone Family Foundation, the talented players in the bracket should
make it an all around great, competitive, action-packed tournament.
This is the first time that a PPPASJ Regulated Tournament will take
place in an "open" arena. Open meaning no walls, poles, or driveway cracks. With the grand, smooth arena of the
Marlton Middle School Cafeteria, the game of PPP will be at its purest form. While RR Arena is still the most prominent
of PPP Courts, its disadvantages prevent it from being the ideal court. Perhaps the MMS Arena will emerge as the best
arena the players have ever set foot upon.
As for the actual players and bracket, it is obvious that the right side
of the bracket is tougher than the left. However, the bigger storyline surrounding the unveiling of this year's bracket
is the fact that the name "Ryan Lutz", back to back Chaollenge Cup Champ, does not appear in the 56 player bracket.
Reporters have attempted to interview Lutz this summer about his choice to stay out of the tournament, but few have had success.
However, in a limited phone call with PPPASJ League Sources, Lutz said, "Yeah it's not that I don't want to play, but I'm
curious to see what will happen without me in the bracket." Arrogance or genuine spirit for the game? No one knows.
Lutz went on to say, "I'll still be there at the tournament to see what's going on, it should be interesting to see who takes
the title now." The Penn State bound blue-chip player has made a decision that has thrilled the rest of the players
in the field. Said Chris Applegate (when he found out about Lutz)-"WHAT?!? Is that legit? That's awesome, it's about
time that dude drops out for once." Chao Weng also commented on the decision, "He's just being cocky man. But
whatever, I don't really care what he does I'm focusing on my performance." Weng is perhaps the player with the most
to prove in this tournament. After winning the first annual tournament, having the tournament named after him, and landing
endorsement deals and big time bucks, Weng's tournament success has declined rapidly (2nd place in 2007, 3rd place in 2006).
And while most players would be happy to place in the tournament three years in a row, it is not acceptable for Zechao Weng.
The Asian mentality drives him towards perfection. Will he bounce back on Thursday?
Other contenders for the title this year are Chris Applegate (now the favorite
with no Lutz), Jeremy Eith (impressive ChaoCup showing), Rob Roselli (King of 4th place), and Jake Ahle (2006 surprise, 2007
disappointment). Also, Adam Henriksen, after his strong ChaoCup showing is aiming to get to the title round. Henriksen
has found himself in Applegate's PPP shaddow for years, but perhaps this is the year that Henriksen emerges as an elite PPP
player. Rob Roselli is hoping to erase memories of his 2008 ChaoCup overtime defeat by reigning victorious on Thursday.
Said Roselli, "with no Lutz, I think I have a legit shot at this thing. I'm ready to showcase the world-class spin (in
an open arena) that I've developed during the offseason.
Other players that are hoping to find themselves in the Championship Round
are Jack Conway (Overtime expert), Ryan VanFossen, and Ryan McNair. Conway and VanFossen were involved in perhaps the
most epic round of all time, in the 2008 ChaoCup quarterfinals (Apple, Chao, Weng, VanFossen). When asked about what
he could potentially achieve on Thursday, Conway said, "I have the potential to reach the finals. I know that.
I was literally one out away from defeating the future silver and bronze medalists (Applegate and Weng). If I stay focused
anything is possible on Thursday." Conway spoke with great confidence, but ultimately his performance on Thursday is
all that matters.
Some other players hoping to surprise on Thursday are Chris Velarides,
Joe Masoero, and Rob Anderson. Anderson was one of the biggest disappointments of the 2008 ChaollengeCup. He is
hoping to quell rumors of his decline as an elite player. Anderson has even hinted at hosting a tournament in late August,
so the spirit and dedication are definitely there. As for Velarides and Masoero, these Country Farms players will be
looking to impress on Thursday. Velarides was one of the bigger surprises of the 2008 ChaoCup, advancing to the quarterfinals
and finishing only 2 titles behind 2006 Runner-up (and 2008 Summer Classic no-show) Mike Rinaldi. Velarides is in prime
position to get to the semifinals on Thursday.
The stage is set and once the madness begins on Thursday it will be a great
experience to witness. Anytime the PPPASJ can host a highly-competitive tournament while helping a friend's family,
it is truly something special. The Lutz-less field has made the tournament a wide-open battle. Starting Thursday
afternoon, the battles will begin, but it is anyone's guess as to who will emerge victorious.
LUTZ REIGNS SUPREME
Great players exhibit dominance in the most pressure filled situations.
Ryan Lutz provided us with a prime example of this theory today. After Weng stole the first title, and Apple the second,
fans began to question Lutz's chances at becoming the first repeat Champion. However, he quickly quelled these rumors
by winning three titles in a row and taking a 3-1-1-0 lead. From that point on, Lutz displayed the total dominance that
he had shown in his quarterfinal and semifinal. Lutz's display of PPP perfection leaves us with two questions.
1) Why is he so good? 2) Is there anyone that can even compete with him? Lutz's game uses nothing too special
like a Chao-serve, Ahle-Smash, or a 2006-Rinaldi-Spike. He simply gets it done when the cash is on the line.
His humble approach towards the championship titles is remarkable. It is tough to put a single identity to his game,
because he's so consistent in all aspects. While most projected the cup to be in Lutz's hands by the end of the tournament,
not many saw him doing it with such ease. Our hopes to take out Lutz now fall to a strong class of players ranked #2-10.
Perhaps next year the Lutz can be taken down from atop his thrown.
Credit must be given to Chris Applegate, this year's second place
finisher. Applegate had fallen short in the semifinals last year, but provided us with a foreshadowing of his ability
and talent for years to come. This year, he built off of his strong rookie campaign to win his quarter and semi, and
to finish second to the best player in the world, knocking off Zechao Weng in the process. Perhaps the most intriguing
aspect of Applegate's game is his ability to get on "streaks." When he gets on these streaks or in these zones, he seems
almost unbeatable at times. Yesterday, when it seemed as though Weng would finish 2nd to Lutz, Applegate was able to
get in one of his trademark zones and snag a few titles to finish 2nd to Lutz with four titles. He has a consistent
arsenal of shots, and a strange, but effective, wooden paddle. Apple said in a post game interview, "I'll be ready to
take out the Lutz next year."
DESCENDING CHAO? Zechao Weng finished 1st in 06, 2nd in 07,
and now finished 3rd in 08. It is impossible to not notice the trend here. Is Weng simply losing his touch, or
are other players improving? Perhaps it is a little bit of both. Weng seemed very conservative and at times flustered
in his semifinal and final round. The only time he displayed true dominance was in his quarterfinal when he stormed
back and knocked off Conway in OT. We must not ignore the struggles that he had in his games. He squeezed by Conway
in the quarters, and squeezed by Ahle in the semis. He was THAT close to being eliminated in his first quarterfinal
matchup. Weng claimed, "I'll be back to my 2006 form for the August tourney," but at this point, who knows?
SEMIFINALS BOTH OT TRHILLERS
The pressure and intensity of an overtime matchup is perhaps the most
intriguing aspect of PPP. Fans were treated to two of these thrillers on Monday and Tuesday. In the first semifinal,
Ryan Lutz from Penn State put on an exhibition of complete, total, domination. Surviving a slight scare from Rob Roselli
(Lutz 3 Rob 2), Lutz continued to pull away. Eith was able to snag two titles along the way before Lutz clinched with
his 10th. THis set up the overtime showdown between Eith and Roselli. Roselli got two quick outs and was on the
verge of elimination, but fought back and tied the match by causing Jeremy to get two outs. Rob now had the serve, in
a 2-2 game. They rallied for a decent amount of time, but eventually, Eith worked Roselli into a corner that he could
not escape. Eith had knocked off Roselli, keeping him out of the Final Round for the first time in his career.
When asked about the loss, Roselli claimed, "it's tough to take, but I give Eith credit. He's a great competitor, he
kept fighting." Lutz declined to comment on the game.
In semifinal 2, the intensity was high right from the first serve. In a very balanced game, Chao found himself with
7 titles, somewhat comfortably ahead of the others. Applegate, Ahle, and Henriksen continued to battle for the second
spot. Henriksen was faced with many opportunities to win titles, however was unable to capitalize on most of these,
finishing with three titles. Applegate and Ahle continued to go back and forth for the second place spot, but eventually,
Applegate stormed ahead of Ahle, and ultimately won the tenth title, capping Chao's meltdown. Weng had seemed so consistent
all game, but now seemed prone to elimination. The Chaollenge Cup would have overtime for the second day in a row: Weng
vs. Ahle. Jake received the first two outs, but responded with a nice spike to give Chao one out. However, on
the next play, Ahle's shot fell short and hit the front end of the table. Ahle let out a crushing sigh as Weng jumped
in elation. Weng became the first player to advance to all three Chaollenge Cup titles. In 06 he took first, 07
2nd, and now he has a chance to place once more in 2008. As for Ahle, he commented, "I know I'm better than this.
I should have never let it get to overtime, because it's almost impossible to beat that guy (Weng)." What is somewhat
forgotten from this game is the way that Apple got on a streak and closed out the match, taking first. Is he poised
to take on Lutz? Applegate said of the match, "I'm not done here. See ya Wednesday night."
Tough to pick one main storyline of the tournament so far... since
no true underdogs have made it to the final (all top 7 seeds). One can not ignore the ease with which Lutz won
his matches. He won his first 8-0-0-1 and his second 10-2-2-0 (OT). So perhaps the main storyline at this
point, is, CAN ANYONE BEAT THE LUTZ? By 1 am Thursday morning, we will know.
CONWAY LOSES LEAD IN EPIC QUARTERFINAL
SHOWDOWN
It was not supposed to happen like this. Jack Conway was one title
away from clinching a spot in the semifinals, hoping to eliminate any memories from last year's OT loss. Conway found
himself two titles ahead of Weng, and one ahead of Applegate. But if we have not learned by now, you can never count
out Weng when it's primetime tournament play. Weng stormed back and the players found themselves in a 9-9-9 tie.
Apple took the next title, clinching his spot in the semis, and leaving Conway in a familiar position. Jack would have
to compete in sudden death overtime, this time it was not against Dev Poon but rather former Champion, Zechao Weng.
They battled, each swapping outs, but a last ditch effort on a spike by Conway was long, and Weng quietly slipped into the
semifinals. The crushing overtime defeat was nothing new to Conway. He had hoped to overwrite last year's sudden
death meltdown, but he simply duplicated it. As for Weng, his perseverance and determination are remarkable. Having
been counted out numerous times in his career, he always seems to find a way to pull out that "Asian fury" mentality and take
over games. When asked about the primetime showdown, Weng said, "it good to win that OT, but I am mad that I let Applegate
beat me. I'm better than this." The quote defines his mentality of achieving perpetual perfection. Conway
refused to comment on the game, but reporters claim that he was "very disappointed in himself for blowing such a great opportunity
in a game of such prestige." Looking ahead to that semifinal, Applegate said, "i feel good about this win. It
wasn't pretty, but to be able to compete with these guys at such a high intensity, it's just great." When asked about his
mid game 'freeze' he stated, "yeah I just have to stay focused and not let those slumps continue." The semifinal matchup
is tentatively scheduled for Monday night, pending one of the participant's work schedule.
The other two quarters were not nearly as exciting as the Weng-Apple-Jack-RVF
game, but yeiled some intriguing results. Adam Henriksen has officially erased last year's first round loss from his
mind, and is only concerned with this year. He was able to defeat Doug Baals for one of few upsets this year.
Henriksen's conservative style of play has resulted in his first semifinal appearance. As for Baals, this is the second
year in a row that he has lost his first match. Baals commented on the situation, "It really does stink. You train
all those hours for these moments, and they're just over in the blink of an eye. I gotta give credit to Adam though,
he's a hell of a player." Jake Ahle has finally returned to form after many doubters hesitated to pick him to go to
the finals after his disappointing exhibition performances. But once again, he has a chance to clinch a spot in the
Championship round.
In the final quarter, Lutzdomination was exhibited as predicted.
A 8-0-0-0 lead allowed Lutz to rest comfortably as the others battled out. Surprisingly, the Jayhawk Doug Zangerle snagged
a title and advanced with Lutz. However, rumor has it that he does not feel deserving of the spot. Numerous reporters
have attempted to speak to him about this however none have had success.
The last quarterfinal will be played on Monday, as Rob Roselli was unable
to participate due to illness. When asked about the situation, Roselli said, "it was a rough day. I didn't see
this coming, but I think I'll be good to go on Monday." Another surprise of the tournament is Chris Velarides.
The USC standout was able to defeat favorite Rob Anderson, who literally didn't show up, and advance to the quarters.
Three country farms players advanced to the quarterfinals this year, redeeming their performances last year.
The tournament venue was switched mid game but will return to RR Arena
for the semi's and finals. It was a very eventful day, so here's a few comments about the day in general:
-Hughes almot knocks off Masoero
-Illness strikes Roselli
-JCur forefits spot due to prior committment
-Rinaldi dominates 1st rd group
-Conway survives legit scare from Poon
-Velarides surprises all
-McGoey drops out last minute
-Neilsen makes strong rookie showing
Games will continue on Monday, times will be determined later this weekend.
Congratulations to all who advanced and thanks to all who participated. This year's tournament provided great gameplay
and the intensity matched that of a Championship Round. Keep it up!!!
2008 Tournament Guidelines:
1) you will receive an automatic third out for every time you crash into the wall. We will not
tolerate overly aggressive play.
2) The money paid by participants will be put towards prize money, and supplies. If participants/spectators
wish to drink/eat anything other than water, they must bring it themselves.
3) Any damage that a player causes to the arena, supplies, table, etc. will be penalized and the player
may be elgible for suspension from the tournament.
4) Rule changes: Shots that hit the corner of the table are only good if the player hits the ball from the
OPPOSITE side of the table. Therefore, if a player is standing to the right and it hits the corner on the right side
of the table, the shot is no good. If the ball crosses the table and hits the opposite corner, the shot counts.
Also, it will be illegal to use wall shots immediately following the serve. They are unnecessary in this situation.
After the second player hits it, wall shots will become legal.
5) Last year, interference was an automatic out, however, this year, interference calls will be based more
on judge discretion. If a player repeatedly hits other players with the ball so that they receive outs, but claims that
he was trying to hit the wall, the judges can and will call the out on the player who hit the ball.
6) Most of all, keep the competitive nature of the tournament strong and play within the spirit of the game.
The extra cash prize should be added motivation to each player who participates. 1st place will receive not only the
Chaollenge Cup, but 100 dollars. 2nd will receive 50 dollars, and third will receive 25.
See ya on June 12th!
Polish Ping Pong, PPP, originated in eighth grade physical
education classes at DeMasi Middle School in 2005. The game was used as a replacement for normal gym games due to the lack
of a gym. Students took great interest in the game and brought it outside of school one year later, in spring of 2006. The
first game outside of school was played in Atlanta Court, the players : Rob Roselli, Michael Rinaldi, Ryan VanFossen, and
Chao Weng. Later that month, other players took upon the game such as Kevin Tucker, Mike Sees, and Matt Maze. Now, for the
first time ever, a tournament is being held to honor the game. Last year, Chao Weng was victorious in the tournament,
but this year, new competitors as well as those who had success last year are poised to compete for the title. 2x the
people, 2x the competition, 2x the glory.
PPPASJ Tournament History:
June 2006- Gold-Chao Weng, Silver-Mike Rinaldi, Bronze-Doug
Baals, medal runner up- Rob Roselli
June 2007- Gold-Ryan Lutz, Silver-Chao Weng, Bronze-Jake Ahle,
medal runner up- Rob Roselli
June 2008- Gold-Ryan Lutz, Silver- Chris Applegate, Bronze-Chao
Weng, medal runner up- Jeremy Eith
August 2008- Gold- Jake Ahle, Silver- Chao Weng (OT), Bronze-
Rob Roselli (OT), medal runner-up- Chris Applegate
August 2008- Gold- Chris Applegate, Silver- Jake Ahle, Bronze-
Chao Weng, medal runner-up- Doug Baals
2008 Season Awards:
Biggest Disappointments: Mike Rinaldi, Ryan McNair, Bill McGoey
Best Rookies: Rory McTear, Tim Hughes, Brandon Neilsen
Best match: ChaoCup08 Quarterfinal (Conway, Apple, Weng, RVF)
Most improved: Chris Velarides
