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Shelton State Community College Kicks Off Esports Program

Shelton State Esports

October 7, 2020 – Following two weeks of preseason play, Shelton State Community College’s (SSCC) Esports team begins regular season competition this week. Now entering their first season in the National Junior College Athletics Esports league, the team’s matches will be streamed live on the College’s Twitch channel, SSCCEsports.

 

SSCC’s Esports inaugural team members are Joslin Bowen, Matthew Chadwick, Samuel Cheek, Cayce Cochran, Jonathan Elder, Tomas Matias, Justin Morrow, Adrian Shamlee, Booshae Thompson, Cole Vick, and Dylan Welchel. Together, they will compete in Fortnite, Super Smash Brothers Ultimate, Overwatch, Madden 21, and Valorant. In addition to being a member of the College’s first team, Jonathan Elder also serves as a team coach. With prior experience as a professional coach for multiple Major League Gaming teams, Elder is eager to bring his knowledge and top-tier training experience to Shelton State.

 

Working alongside the team members and Coach Elder is the Esports sponsor, Elena Hodgson. By day, Hodgson works in the Martin Campus Library as a librarian, but has jumped feet first into her new role. “Being so closely involved in the creation of an esports team has been an amazing experience,” Hodgson shared. “Getting to know my players has been interesting because I haven’t met all of them in person! I have still managed to learn a great deal about them through their online interactions, and I can’t wait to see what this fantastic group accomplishes together.”

 

This year’s fall competition will be on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. On Mondays, the team will compete in Fortnite beginning at 6:15 p.m. with Tomas Matias leading. Each Tuesday, Super Smash Brothers Ultimate will be played at 5:00 p.m. led by Justin Morrow. Overwatch and Madden21, led by Dylan Welchel and Justin Morrow respectively, will be played on Thursdays at 5:00 p.m. with the week of play concluding on Fridays at 5:00 p.m. with Cole Vick leading the Valorant competitors.

 

Plans are currently underway for the development of an esports arena at the College’s Fredd Campus. Specialized gaming computers and equipment are being purchased to create a championship facility for the program.

 

Students interested in Shelton State Esports are encouraged to contact Elena Hodgson at ehodgson@sheltonstate.edu. “A major goal for next semester is to recruit more players and compete in additional game titles,” said Hodgson. “This playing field is wide open, and we are excited about building this sport.”

 

For more information about Shelton State Esports, visit sheltonstate.edu/athletics.