The 2020 Oregon State Championships reflected both the durability of tradition and the inevitability of change. In stark contrast to the warm, festive Labor Day setting in years past, this year's games began on the cold morning of October 24. Dried leaves rustled in the cold wind outside the Paddle Palace Club in Tigard, Oregon, where champions, both defending and aspiring, did gather. In accordance with both state law and common sense, the tournament was run under strict COVID-19 protocols. The spacious club limited its occupancy to 20, with masks required at all times (even during matches, unlike current European league rules). The event was closed to spectators. Players neither changed ends between games, nor shook hands afterwards. Despite these deficits of etiquette, participants somehow still managed to play nice. Open Singles Jiwei Xia, the 31-year-old head coach at the Paddle Palace Club, has been steadily padding his already impressive résumé with state championships ever since moving to Oregon from his native Tianjin, China. The two-time defending Oregon state champion entered this year's tournament as the prohibitive favorite, his customary position. One of his star students, up-and-coming local 16-year-old Dean Schultz, proved his promise by overcoming a tough round robin group and sweeping his progressively tougher quarterfinal and semifinal matches. There is a unique dynamic when a teacher and a student move from the realm of nurturing tutelage to that of gladiatorial combat. Imagine if "The Karate Kid" ended with Daniel-san fighting Mr. Miyagi for the championship. While they both might feel conflicted between honoring their relationship and the competitive discipline which unites them, there is absolutely no way Mr. Miyagi is going to eat a crane kick just to encourage the boy. Both finalists were acutely aware of the fraught dynamic between them. For Xia the competitor, victory was always the goal, and one that was never in doubt. For Xia the teacher, however, the goal was to give Schultz meaningful practice. Toward this end, he purposefully pushed long in order to invite Schultz to loop, one of the skills he must hone in order to bridge the 500-plus gulf between them in USATT ratings. "I tried to teach him some higher-level stuff," related Xia, who mostly taught by example. With Coach Jiwei Xia in control every step of the way, he secured the three-peat in three straight, (11-4, 11-5, 11-6). Schultz will have his name engraved next to his coach's on the prestigious state championship trophy. For Dean Schultz, it was both a humbling and encouraging experience to reach the state finals at such a young age. Playing Xia was "very intimidating," he said, "but I gave it my all... Maybe next year we'll switch the first and second place names on the trophy," Schultz added, his eyes betraying a playful smirk otherwise obscured by his mask. Women's Singles RR The women's singles featured four fierce competitors with a range of ages and styles. The top seed was "almost 15"-year-old Cheery Zhang, the defending champion with a strong forehand topspin attack. The second seed was Leezan Da, a long-pips-wielding block-and-smash specialist who identified as "over 50." The third seed was Paddle Palace club director Jen Beeler. The 39-year-old Oregon native was a varsity athlete at nearby Tigard High School, winning state championships in soccer, basketball and softball. Today, she kept the trains running on time, and even found time to employ the playing skills she has been practicing with—who else?—Coach Jiwei Xia. Rounding out the round robin was Eden Choi, a tenacious defender with short pips on her backhand. A huge underdog on paper, she played with poise and discipline way beyond her 12 years. About playing older, tougher players, she said, "It's cool, it's a fun opportunity." With her positive, carefree mindset, she made her opponents sweat bullets with her low, vicious forehand chops buzzing like murder hornets with venomous backspin. At the end of the day, multi-sport star Jen Beeler claimed her first state table tennis championship. Although Beeler prefers an attacking game, wielding an authoritative inside-out forehand smash, it was her ability to adapt to her opponent's various styles and play more strategically which netted her the title. The championship hinged on her tense match with Cheery Zhang, who won the first game. After winning the next two, Beeler trailed 5-8 in the fourth. She then simply decided to win, reeling off five straight points to earn two match points. Serving, Zhang saved one to get within a point of deuce. The next point was as tense as a violin, the players trading pushes for a seeming eternity until one of Beeler's caught the end line and fell out of reach, and along with it Zhang's chances for this year's title. After Beeler blasted through Leezan Da in three straight, her second straight upset, this put Da and Zhang in position to battle for second place. Once again, the Zhang found herself in another tense match, this time going the full five games with Da. With first and second places to be engraved on the state championship trophy, both players gave it their all. Da, using long pips on her backhand, frustrated Zhang with blocks and demoralized her with smashes. Nevertheless, Zhang persisted in her forehand topspin attacks at every opportunity. Tied at 7-all, Zhang showed her championship form by closing on a 4-1 run to achieve engraved immortality. In Oregon, Jiwei Xia towers above the field like a scarecrow. While his cavernous shadow may be intimidating to some, especially during this spooky time of year, remember that the purpose of a scarecrow is to protect those under his watch. As evidenced by the rapid progress of his students, such as Jen Beeler and Dean Schultz, Jiwei Xia is undoubtedly raising a strong crop in his field. This concluded the first day of action. Tomorrow, the juniors and over 40 titles will be decided. Stay tuned!

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