It's been an unbelievable year to be a Falcon! UWRF Esports competed from September 8th to April 30th both online and in-person across 8 states in 21 tournaments and 8 collegiate esports leagues. The Falcons racked up 129 wins and 108 losses for a 54% winning percentage en route to 23 playoff appearances, 3 championships, and 2 national tournament runs. Along the way, head coach Dylan Gentilcore received recognition from his peers as a finalist for the EsportsU Director of the Year Award, acknowledging his leadership for UWRF Esports at the largest collegiate esports award ceremony held in Arlington, Texas this weekend.





This past week, UWRF Esports finished its season proper with a 1-2 loss in the NECC Navigators National Semifinals against Northern Illinois University. After a hot start to the series with a 28 minute rout in the favor of the Falcons, NIU returned the favor in kind with a 29 minute win in game 2 to even the series.



In the series-deciding game 3, the Falcons battled for over 44 minutes in a back-and-forth nailbiter that came down to a series of clashes over the 2nd Elder Dragon spawn. Despite a 13/7/14 performance by junior Aaron "Aarohunter" Benck on his signature Bel'Veth, the Falcons came up short in the final fight after crushing the previous teamfight at the expense of both of their nexus towers. That's a Top 4 National finish in the Navigators division for the conference champion Falcons LoL as they look forward to a returning roster with only 1 graduating senior and top talent in the form of Joseph "enchanting" Clark, a former Challenger rank player, joining their ranks.



UWRF Esports will be active over the summer with appearances at the Minnesota Varsity League and Wisconsin High School Esports Association state finals later this month. Registration will also open soon for the first esports summer camp offered at UW-River Falls taking place July 8-11 in the UWRF Esports Arena.
 
As their long first year comes to an end, UWRF Esports would like to acknowledge the following seniors that spent their final semesters at UW-River Falls building a culture of both fun and excellence:

• Jacob Ziertman, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
• Matthew Drath, Valorant
• Chloe Lim, Valorant
• Anthony Rohaley, Overwatch 2, Top 16 NECC Nationals
• Brady Bates, League of Legends, NECC Conference Champ & Top 4 Nationals
• Ryan Colegrove, Rainbow 6 Siege
• Jaxon Hafenbreadl, Rainbow 6 Siege, Assistant Coach

45 recordings of Spring 2024 matches are now live on UWRF Esports's YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBv7uOgiTyYd5Bz5vZS9u084Vjg168_xq&si=Gpq_o595arP-C0FZ