Pennsylvania College of Technology's Esports program has won its first championship. The Overwatch 2 team captured the Fall 2024 National Association of Collegiate Esports Varsity+ championship, beating the University of North Carolina–Greensboro 3-1 in the final match and finishing with a 7-1 season.
"It has been such a fun journey these past five years, trying to figure out how to build a competitive esports program at the college," said Joshua D. Young, esports coordinator. "This season was also the first time that all five team titles reached the playoffs, another major accomplishment for the program. This championship is very deserving for the hard work from the students in the program. I look forward to building on this success in the fall season and see if we can bring championships in our other game titles in the spring. Let's Go!"
The team is managed by network administration & engineering technology student Frankie "Haywire" Gagliardi III, of Pottstown, who also works as a student service desk technician for Penn College’s Information Technology Services.
"He has been the team manager for Overwatch 2 for the past two years, helping the team reach the playoffs for the past four seasons of competition and now adds a championship to his leadership of the team!" Young enthused.
Joining Gagliardi on the team are: Alejandro "Aion" Gonzalez, of New Cumberland, network administration & engineering technology; Mason "StevieWonder" Heitman, of Saylorsburg, heating, ventilation & air conditioning technology; Mason "Carrot" Orner, of Sunbury, robotics & automation; Elijah "JackWilder52" Persun, of Lock Haven, electronics & computer engineering technology; and Brady "Roopz" Rupert, of Montoursville, business administration.
Young noted the Penn College Esports team was formed five years ago with 14 students and now boasts 44 competitors in six titles: iRacing, League of Legends, Rocket League, Valorant, Overwatch 2 and Counter Strike 2.
Young, a learning systems administrator at Penn College, also gives a shout out to "the support from our Athletics department and Student Engagement, my co-workers in Educational & Emerging Technologies, and ITS in the creation of the Wildcat Den." (The Wildcat Den is the esports team's home base, on the second floor of The Madigan Library.)
"Our journey has been filled with many milestones, and we have reached the top accomplishment (with this) championship," he added.
The final match can be viewed on Twitch. The Penn College Esports team can be followed on Twitch, X, Facebook and Instagram. For more information, email the team.
Young shared these additional Fall 2024 season stats:
Regular Season (Best of 5 matches)
Sept. 24 – Bethany Lutheran College – Won 3-0
Oct. 1 – University of North Carolina–Greensboro – Lost 0-3
Oct. 8 – Glenville State University – Won 3-0
Oct. 15 – Butler University – Won 3-0
Oct. 22 – St. Andrews University – Won 3-0
Oct. 29 – Texas Wesleyan University – Won 3-0
Nov. 5 – Camden County College – Won 3-0
Playoffs (Best of 5 matches)
Quarterfinals - Bye
Semifinals - Nov. 16 - Texas Wesleyan University – Won 3-0
Finals - Nov. 19 - University of North Carolina–Greensboro – Won 3-1