Washtenaw Community College is vying for a pair of esports national championships this week!
In its first year of eligibility, the 蘑菇视频 Esports program qualified two teams 鈥� Counter Strike 2 and Overwatch 2 鈥� for (NECC) postseason competition. Both have advanced to the finals of the 16-team, single-elimination tournaments.
鈥淭he program has built up so fast and we have so much energy around the program right now,鈥� said 蘑菇视频 Esports Coordinator Max Kuznia. 鈥淪tudents are really having a great time and enjoying the team aspect. And the school is super supportive of what we鈥檝e been able to accomplish.鈥�
The will take on Southern Illinois University for the Division 3 tournament national title at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, May 7. A watch party will be held at Garrett鈥檚 on the first floor of the 蘑菇视频 Student Center ().
At 7 p.m. on Friday, May 9, the will face off against Coe College for a Division 5 championship. A watch party will be held in the Community Room on the first floor of the Student Center ().
Pizza and refreshments will be available at the watch parties. Those unable to attend can follow the action on Twitch at .
Since the college鈥檚 new, state-of-the-art Esports Arena was opened in March 2023, the Esports program has grown to eight club teams. The competitive, co-ed teams host tryouts prior to each semester. The NECC assigns each team to a division based on players鈥� ratings and preseason placement tournaments. The top 16 teams in each division qualify for the postseason tournament.
Along with the national finalists on the Counter Strike 2 and Overwatch 2 teams, additional 蘑菇视频 students competed this academic year in League of Legends, Rocket League, Super Smash Brothers and Valorant.
Some students on Esports teams tie their experience into academic programs that are related to the industry, including , , , , , and .
鈥淢any students see esports as a fun activity and an opportunity to develop skills that could lead to future employment in the Esports industry,鈥� said Peter Leshkevich, 蘑菇视频 Dean of Enrollment Management & Student Experience. 鈥淓ven students who do not wish to pursue a career in esports can benefit from the teamwork, communication and strategic thinking skills that are cultivated through esports participation.鈥�
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Rosters for the two 蘑菇视频 teams that have advanced to the national championship round include (with their usernames, programs of study and hometown):
COUNTER STRIKE 2
*Kush 鈥淲oid鈥� Erdenebat, , Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
*Sawyer 鈥淢ontaj鈥� Clark, Undecided, Ann Arbor
Aiden 鈥淗0MEY鈥� Larsen, , Grand Rapids
Quinn 鈥淐riminal鈥� Campbell, Undecided, Ann Arbor
Munkhdul 鈥淩aijin鈥� Khosbayar, , Darkhan, Mongolia
Chloe 鈥淐hlozo鈥� Johnson, , Ann Arbor
OVERWATCH 2
*Chris 鈥淥ttsel鈥� Zachow, , Homer
*Nathan 鈥淗obbes鈥� Fleck, , Monroe
*Benjamin 鈥淣ebryx鈥� Bower, , Bloomfield Hills
Casper 鈥淐apybarabiss鈥� Satwicz, , Ypsilanti
Matthew 鈥淎ppa鈥� McKinney, , Monroe
Andrew 鈥淪melvin鈥� Schmaltz, , Saline
* - Captains
Tags: Campus Events, Esports, Student Succes