Samsons Esports gathered last week on Monday to close out the Spring 2023 Season. Players were welcomed to the GCC Esports Arena to celebrate the conclusion of the year. We are excited to announce that Samsons have become 5-time National Champions after the Call of Duty and Rainbow 6 Siege teams took home 3 more championship wins.
New and old players gathered to celebrate, play, and kick off the summer months. Joining us were several alumni of the program, some of whom have remained active members of GCC's Intramural Valorant Team. Resident Life Manager Kobe Lorendo, a previous Rainbow 6 Siege player, stopped by with a few other familiar faces to the program.
During the banquet, we gave out awards to those players who had an outstanding season above and beyond the national level accomplishments. Jakob Wiemeri received the Jim Halverson Excellence in Esports Award for his positive attitude and work ethic for both the program and the Rainbow 6 team. We applaud his input to the program and look forward to his efforts in the coming months. Also recognized was graduating member Aydan MacLeod who helped take both the Call of Duty and Rainbow 6 Siege teams through the National Championship, he was awarded Most Valuable Player for these feats.
The Samsons Esports program wishes warm congratulations to all members of the team getting ready to graduate, including Seth Osterman, Griffen McLaughlin, Lane Kortemeier, and Aydan MacLeod. These players broke ground by being part of the first Samsons Esports team to bring home a National Title in the Spring of 2022. Each of these players has unique strengths that will propel their respective careers and aspirations.
The Intramural Valorant Team also had a great year. We are proud to see the group collaborating to create a fun environment and challenging themselves to progress in their respective roles. Nicole Thyrion of Calumet joined us part of the way through the season and made the trip down to meet her teammates face-to-face during the banquet. In the Fall, we'll be looking to form an official team from these dedicated athletes.
We have several games still available for recruitment including: Fortnite (build & no-build), Street Fighter 6, Tekken 7, Rocket League, and many more. If you, or someone you know is interested please have them email: esports@gogebic.edu, or stop by campus and ask about Esports.
Finally, a huge thanks to the community. We could not produce these accomplishments without the continued support of the friends and family of our players. Please be on the lookout for opportunities to help contribute to fundraisers and other ways to contribute to the Samsons Esports program. This summer, we are planning on rotating some of our gaming PCs, so if someone you know is looking for an affordable gaming computer please contact: esports@gogebic.edu.
The food for the banquet was deliciously catered by Suffolk Street Eatery in downtown Ironwood. They did a fantastic job preparing the entire meal and logistics.
(Pictured: Joel and Robbie, owners and operators of the Suffolk St. Eatery)
THANK YOU AND GO SAMSONS!
