Snow wins Esports tournament,

works toward national title

By Matt Harris

Staff writer

5-14-2020

The Snow College Esports team took home a tournament championship in the NJCAAE Spring FIFA 2020 Tournament as Gaspar Vedoya beat teammate Valentin Hernandez for the title last Thursday.

Vedoya secured the win, 2-0, against Hernandez, who had beaten him in the regular season, 2-0, on March 4. Vedoya completed a regular season record of 8-2 before rolling through the playoff bracket as a No. 4 seed.

“We’ve been working really hard to develop our students and become the best team we can be,” Coach Landon Peterson said. “The students are incredibly dedicated. They keep up with their schoolwork, practice daily, keep a fitness regimen and still find time to do the other important things in their lives. Their passion really shows through in the way they practice and play.”

This was the first-ever season of spring competition for Badger Esports, who first began to compete officially last fall. It didn’t take long for Snow to gain a solid standing as one of the best Esports junior colleges in the NJCAA, and last week proved it in more ways than one.

Other than the FIFA title, Snow’s Rocket League team was runner-up, falling 4-0 in the final against Northern Essex Community College in Massachusetts. Aidan Anderson, Cody Howell, and Jarod Stirling formed the Orange team that claimed the honor.

The Badgers Blue squad made it to the semifinals of the Overwatch tournament, falling 3-0 to Centralia College, after finishing 4-4 in the regular season.

In the 64-player field of the Super Smash Bros singles tournament, the Badgers had five different players representing, including the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament, Brevan Lipscomb.

Libscomb and fellow teammate Cody Best both advanced to the round of 16 before Best fell to Christopher Long of Northern Essex CC, 3-0.

Lipscomb advanced to the round of eight before running into Noah Stockton of Patrick Henry Community College. The No. 24 seed Stockton upset Lipscomb in five rounds, 3-2, and handed him his only loss of the spring season after Lipscomb finished the regular season 7-0.

The Badgers will soon prepare for fall competition again and the hopes of capturing a national championship.

“We’re working hard to get that national championship title next year,” Peterson said. “We do have some students that are moving on to the next phase of their education, and we wish them the best.”