2004 USA Olympic Singles Trials

Penn State University, State College, Pennsylvania · Jan. 13-18, 2004

 

 

Top Nine Men ... Top Nine Women

#1 Ilija Lupulesku

Personal profile: Lupulesku was born in Yugoslavia and is making the jump to join the U.S. Association.  A member of the 2003 U.S. Pan Am Team, Lupulesku could not make the trip to Santo Domingo due to injury.  As the #1 eligible male table tennis athlete in the U.S. Lupulesku has his site on making his first U.S. Olympic Team.  He was a Silver Medalist in doubles at the 1988 Olympics, with Zoran Primorac.

Athlete Highlights:

#2 David Zhuang

Goals: To make my third Olympic Appearance in Athens at the 2004 Games.

Personal Profile: A member of the U.S. National Team since 1995, David balances time with his loving wife who coaches him and his two daughters.  David is a full-time table tennis coach.  David’s favorite aspect of the game is the intensity & mental toughness during competition, and the on-going development of different techniques in the sport.  David said he would name his autobiography “The Ageless and Passionate Zhuang”.

Athlete Highlights:

#3 Barney Reed

Goals: To become an Olympic and World Champion

Personal Profile: Barney is one of the top males in the U.S.  He earned a spot on the 1997 U.S. World Team and went to Manchester, England to compete in the 44th World Championships.  Barney’s dedication to the sport is indicated by his efforts to train six hours every day.  Barney trained in Sweden in 1994.

Athlete Highlights:

#4 Mark Hazinski

Goals: To make the 2004 Olympic Team and make a living out of table tennis.

Personal Profile: A U.S. National Team Member in 2001 & 2003, Mark first made the Men’s team at 15.  Mark was introduced to the sport in elementary school at 9, but is now home schooled.  Mark has two younger sisters.  Mark grew up in Indiana close to his mentor & Men’s National Team Coach, Dan Seemiller.  Mark is a very humble individual and wishes that every country spoke the same language.

Athlete Highlights:

#5 Eric Owens

Goals: To become a research physician

Personal Profile: Eric is Full-time college student at Texas Wesleyn University studying Biochemistry with a 3.85 GPA.  Eric is a vegetarian and lives by his favorite slogan “eat to live instead of live to eat”.  Eric has over 30 different USA Junior National titles and ran a full marathon at the age of nine.  His favorite movie is “Titanic” and his favorite actor is “Tom Cruise”.

Athlete Highlights:

#6 Khoa Nguyen

Rating: 2595

Hometown: San Jose, CA

Age: 36 (10-9-66)

Playing Style: Agressive shakehand 2-winged looper

#7 Darko Rop

Personal Profiles:  Darko began playing table tennis in 1978.  He was one of the best junior players in Yugoslavia in the late 1980s and made the US National Team on his first try in 1993.  Darko is a graduate of the Physical Education College at the University of Belgrade and now is a neuromuscular therapist in Houston, Texas.  In 1996 Darko completed his sixth year of music school studying piano.  Aside from his hobby playing the piano, he also enjoys  running and skiing.

Athlete Highlights:

#8 Adam Hugh

Goals: To do well in school in order to get accepted at a good university.

Personal Profile: The son of Women’s National Team member Lily Yip, Adam is a member of the 2004 Junior National Boy’s Team.  His only sibling Judy Hugh is also a U.S National Team member on the Cadet Girl’s Team.  Adam enjoys listening to Light Rock & Pop music, watching the Matrix, and playing basketball and ultimate Frisbee.  He also wishes he could fly and have super strength.

Athlete Highlights:

#9 Han Xiao

Goals: To start a business and play in the Olympics.

Personal Profile: Han, the 2002 USOC Athlete of the Year for Table Tennis, lists his best quality as perseverance.  His hobbies are computer programming, playing other sports, and watching the Matrix.  If he were a superhero he would posses the power of bi-location and wishes their were less selfish people in the world.

Athlete Highlights:

Top Nine Women
(Note - Wang Chen will be added if eligible - waiting on citizenship)

#1 Gao Jun

Goal: To win an Olympic medal for the U.S.

Personal Profile: A member of the U.S. National Team since 1997, Gao Jun is currently studying Economic Trade at the east China University of Science and Technology in Shanghai, China while she trains with her Chinese club.  She likes love songs, 007 and Batman movies, and likes to reminisce about her father taking her to table tennis school as a child in China.  Her father introduced her to the sport at the age of five.

Athlete Highlights:

#2 Jasna Reed

Goals: To win another Olympic medal, have  fun, a family, and  a steady job.

Personal Profile: Jasna has a degree in Political Science from Oakland University in Rochester Hills, MI.  She says that her degree, Olympic medal, and many friends that she can rely on are her greatest accomplishments.  Jasna claims to be a movie “freak” and likes to play other sports.  Jasna also claims to have no ability to control her emotions

Athlete Highlights:

#3 Tawny Banh

Goals: To qualify for the 2004 Olympics and become U.S. National Champion.  Also to have a successful business of my own.

Personal Profile: A National Team member since 1994, Tawny started her career at 13 when her oldest brother introduced her to the sport.  She enjoys time with her 5 siblings and says her mom always does the nicest things for her.  Tawny’s greatest accomplishment was qualifying for the 2000 Olympic Team with an injured arm. Tawny is very caring and compassionate.

Athlete Highlights:

#4 Lily Yip

Goals: To be happy and healthy.

Personal Profile: A member of the U.S. National Team since 1991, Lily is a Wife, Mother of two National Team members, Coach, Tournament Coordinator, and owner of a table tennis business.  Portrayed as the leader of the “first family” of U.S. Table Tennis, Lily’s children (Adam & Judy) are members of the 2004 Junior Boy’s & Cadet Girls Teams.  Lily began playing at age 7 and has a degree in Physical Education from GuangXhou University in China.

Athlete Highlights:

#5 Whitney Ping

Goals: To make the U.S. National Team and the Olympic Team and to be a top ranked player in the world.

Personal Profile: Whitney loves the complexity of the game and how the more she comes to understand it, the more she starts to love it.  Whitney also likes the traveling associated with the sport and the opportunities to meet lots of new people.  In High School Whitney was a 4.0 GPA student, member of the National Honor Society, and the “Who’s Who Among American High School Students”.

Athlete Highlights:

#6 Jackie Lee

Goals: To make the World, Olympic, and Pan Am Teams.

Personal Profile: Jackie who accredits her family for getting her started in the sport at the age of nine is now headed to college at UC Berkeley in San Francisco, CA.  A member of the Cadet/Junior National Team for the past seven years, Jackie’s sister always writes her a letter of good luck for every tournament.  Some of her hobbies are playing the piano, reading, drawing, and listening to music.  Jackie says she looks up to Lance Armstrong.

Athlete Highlights:

#7 Virginia Sung

Goals: To become an actress and receive an award for best actress.  Also to be an Olympic Gold Medalist.

Personal Profile: A member of the 1997 U.S. World and National Team.  Sung began playing at the age of eight upon encouragement from her parents.  She is a former U.S. Olympic Training Center resident athlete.  Sung was a  U.S. National Team member from 1994-1995 and in 1997.  She was also a 1993 World Team Member.  Sung enjoys reading, music, and dancing.

Athlete Highlights:

#8 Michelle Do

Goals: To be a pediatrician and to win a medal in the Olympics.

Personal Profile: Michelle started playing at nine years old and credits her brother for introducing her to the sport.  Her hobbies include reading, playing on her computer, listening to music, and participating in other sports.  Other sports that she enjoys are volleyball, basketball, running, bike riding, swimming, and roller blading.  Michelle was selected as the youth female representative for the 1999 World Team.

Athlete Highlights:

#9 Judy Hugh

Goals: To make the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team and the National Team.

Personal Profile: The daughter of Women’s National Team member Lily Yip, Judy is a member of the 2004 Cadet National Team.  Her only sibling Adam Hugh is also a U.S National Team member on the Junior Boy’s Team.  Judy loves traveling to nation-wide tournaments and has for the past 3 years as a National Team Member.  Judy enjoys hanging out with her friends and chatting on the internet.

Athlete Highlights:

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