The University will host the Penn State Handball Open this weekend at the Intramural Building.

The tournament, which is being sponsored by the Penn State Handball Club, will feature competition in different age brackets. There is an Open Singles bracket, which will consist of 23 players and a B and C singles bracket. A Women's Singles competition is also included.

The competition also consists of the Masters (ages 40-49), Golden Masters Singles (50-59), and the Super Masters Singles (60 and over) division. There will also be a juniors division for younger players. The juniors division is separated into three different age levels.

Bill Wright, the adviser for the handball club, said the tournament will consist of players from the Mid-Atlantic Region.

Included in weekend competition will be notable handball professionals such as Lee Shield, participating in the Golden Masters division, and Ralph Remale, participating in the Masters division. Also, 12-year-old David Fink, the region's 15-and-under champion, will compete in the juniors division.

Among those competing for Penn State on an individual level will be Wright, Timothy Wong, John Orlosky and Marianne Bitler. Wong, Orlosky and Bitler, who is the defending collegiate women's champion, will compete in the C division.

Angelo Gonzalez, who was slated to compete in the B division, will not participate due to a foot injury suffered this week.

Although Penn State's facilities at the IM building don't allow for many spectators to view the matches, Wong encouraged people to view some of the tournament's games.

"Penn State doesn't have glass walls to allow more people to watch the games," Wong said.

Wong also pointed out that the handball club was trying to develop more of a team atmosphere.

"We definitely need more people to get involved in the club," he said. "Also, our charter budget from the school is only $25 a year; you can't start a team with this amount."

Wong jokingly added "you can't even buy a pair of gloves with that amount."

Adequate preparation is also necessary for a three-day tournament, Wright said.

"I usually like to play 8-10 days in a row before a tournament to refine my skills," he said. "Then I may take a day off before the tournament to rest. I like to get into a groove before a tournament."