West Virginia Wesleyan College’s Esports Team proudly hosted the first-ever in-person event of the West Virginia Scholastic Esports League, bringing together 140 students from schools across the state to compete for the top spots of the season’s competitions.
Players participated in games like Overwatch, Super Smash Bros., Brawlhalla, Apex Legends, and Valorant, experiencing competition akin to traditional athletic events. Students met other players they had faced online and shared their passion for the games and a mutual love of pizza, according to WVWC head coach Ethan Hayes.
Chase Jarrell of Ravenswood High School said, “This event was absolutely wonderful. Coach Hayes and the Wesleyan team did an incredible job hosting and making the event feel like the pinnacle of our season. Meeting all the other coaches and their players from around the state was worth the trip alone. I’m very much looking forward to the next edition!”
The event winners included Super Smash Bros. from Hedgesville High School, Brawlhalla from Brooke High School, Apex from Ripley High School, Overwatch from Webster County High School, and Valorant from Brooke High School.
In Fall 2024, WVSEL schools aimed to foster student participation and scholarship opportunities from various colleges supporting esports. The LAN event was limited to games with at least eight competing teams; other titles continued their season online. Buckhannon-Upshur High School achieved a clean sweep through both brackets. Madden2024 was claimed by a competitor from Hedgesville, and in Siege brackets, Wirt County High and Hedgesville traded undefeated brackets. These teams and students diligently honed their skills and communication to excel at their first LAN.
This event marked a debut for Wesleyan’s esports media team. Students managed aspects of tournament production. Hayes said, “I am incredibly proud of my students. For their first event to accommodate 140 students while controlling most errors is a massive undertaking. They set the bar incredibly high for future events.”
With the event’s success, WVWC esports plans to expand scholarship efforts into areas like graphic design, media production, and color commentating.
“We need talented students willing to spearhead this effort and help improve upon future events,” Hayes added.
WVWC Esports aims to host more events for West Virginia students and the community. “This seems silly not to do,” Hayes said. By creating a scale platform for esports, they foster program longevity and strengthen the state’s gaming community.
WVWC is dedicated to creating a sustainable esports environment. For those interested in collegiate esports, starting a scholastic program, or sponsoring, contact Coach Hayes at hayes.e@wvwc.edu.