{"id":104565,"date":"2024-12-06T10:55:14","date_gmt":"2024-12-06T15:55:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/?p=104565"},"modified":"2024-12-06T10:55:41","modified_gmt":"2024-12-06T15:55:41","slug":"game-on-umw-esports-tournament-takes-the-program-to-the-next-level","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/2024\/12\/06\/game-on-umw-esports-tournament-takes-the-program-to-the-next-level\/","title":{"rendered":"Game On: UMW Esports Tournament Takes the Program to the Next Level"},"content":{"rendered":"<?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><figure id=\"attachment_104580\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-104580\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"104580\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/2024\/12\/06\/game-on-umw-esports-tournament-takes-the-program-to-the-next-level\/esportsumw033\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/eSportsUMW033-scaled.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"2560,1758\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta='{\"aperture\":\"11\",\"credit\":\"\",\"camera\":\"ILCE-7M3\",\"caption\":\"\",\"created_timestamp\":\"1732366319\",\"copyright\":\"\",\"focal_length\":\"25\",\"iso\":\"16000\",\"shutter_speed\":\"0.0125\",\"title\":\"\",\"orientation\":\"1\"}' data-image-title=\"\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;University of Mary Washington hosted its first large-scale collegiate esports tournament in the Cedric Rucker University Center Chandler Ballroom. Photo by Suzanne Rossi.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/eSportsUMW033-300x206.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/eSportsUMW033-1024x703.jpg\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-104580\" src=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/eSportsUMW033-300x206.jpg\" alt=\"University of Mary Washington hosted its first large-scale collegiate esports tournament in the Cedric Rucker University Center Chandler Ballroom. Photo by Suzanne Rossi.\" width=\"300\" height=\"206\" srcset=\"\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/eSportsUMW033-300x206.jpg 300w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/eSportsUMW033-1024x703.jpg 1024w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/eSportsUMW033-768x527.jpg 768w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/eSportsUMW033-1536x1055.jpg 1536w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/eSportsUMW033-2048x1406.jpg 2048w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/eSportsUMW033-1131x772.jpg 1131w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-104580\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">University of Mary Washington hosted its first large-scale collegiate esports tournament in the Cedric Rucker University Center Chandler Ballroom. Photo by Suzanne Rossi.<\/figcaption><\/figure><p>The University of Mary Washington&rsquo;s esports program took center stage in the gaming world as it hosted its first large-scale collegiate tournament late last month, transforming the Cedric Rucker University Center Chandler Ballroom into a lively digital arena. Whizzes, bangs and friendly banter rang out, as teams from across the mid-Atlantic gathered face-to-face to compete in popular video games like <em>Valorant<\/em>, <em>Rocket League<\/em> and <em>Overwatch 2<\/em>.<\/p><p>UMW&rsquo;s coed team &ndash; comprised of 13 starting players and three substitutes &ndash; welcomed competitors from Radford and Virginia Wesleyan, Penn State and Harrisburg University in Pennsylvania, and Glenville State in West Virginia. The event, which was open to the public, showcased players&rsquo; skill, strategy and teamwork, with the Mary Washington Eagles earning a pair of top-place finishes.<\/p><p>In <em>Valorant<\/em>, Harrisburg, Radford and UMW took the top three spots. In <em>Overwatch 2<\/em>, Penn State, UMW and Glenville State took the top three places. And in<em> Rocket League<\/em>, it was Harrisburg, Radford and Virginia Wesleyan placing in the top three.<\/p><p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a great opportunity for our players to compete in person, where the atmosphere is both fun and competitive,&rdquo; UMW Director of Esports Mark Link said of the tournament, a culmination of the semester&rsquo;s regional league play. &ldquo;The playful back-and-forth between teams adds to the excitement and camaraderie of the event.&rdquo;<\/p><p>This occasion highlights the expansion of <a href=\"https:\/\/umweagles.com\/sports\/esports\">esports at Mary Washington<\/a>, which launched its program in the spring of 2022. In less than three years, it has flourished, providing students with opportunities for sportsmanship, competition and personal development comparable to traditional college athletics.<\/p><div class=\"tiled-gallery type-rectangular tiled-gallery-unresized\" data-original-width=\"1100\" data-carousel-extra='{\"blog_id\":7,\"permalink\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.umw.edu\\\/news\\\/2024\\\/12\\\/06\\\/game-on-umw-esports-tournament-takes-the-program-to-the-next-level\\\/\",\"likes_blog_id\":230672515}' itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/ImageGallery\"> <div class=\"gallery-row\" style=\"width: 1100px; height: 943px;\" data-original-width=\"1100\" data-original-height=\"943\"> <div class=\"gallery-group images-1\" style=\"width: 630px; height: 943px;\" data-original-width=\"630\" data-original-height=\"943\"> <div class=\"tiled-gallery-item tiled-gallery-item-large\" itemprop=\"associatedMedia\" itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/2024\/12\/06\/game-on-umw-esports-tournament-takes-the-program-to-the-next-level\/esportsumw011\/\" border=\"0\" itemprop=\"url\"> <meta itemprop=\"width\" content=\"626\"> <meta itemprop=\"height\" content=\"939\"> <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" data-attachment-id=\"104568\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/eSportsUMW011-scaled.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1707,2560\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta='{\"aperture\":\"5\",\"credit\":\"\",\"camera\":\"ILCE-7M3\",\"caption\":\"\",\"created_timestamp\":\"1732364479\",\"copyright\":\"\",\"focal_length\":\"25\",\"iso\":\"8000\",\"shutter_speed\":\"0.00625\",\"title\":\"\",\"orientation\":\"1\"}' data-image-title=\"\" data-image-description=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/eSportsUMW011-200x300.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/eSportsUMW011-683x1024.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/eSportsUMW011-scaled.jpg?w=626&amp;h=939&amp;ssl=1\" srcset=\"\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/eSportsUMW011-scaled.jpg 1707w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/eSportsUMW011-200x300.jpg 200w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/eSportsUMW011-683x1024.jpg 683w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/eSportsUMW011-768x1152.jpg 768w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/eSportsUMW011-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/eSportsUMW011-1365x2048.jpg 1365w\" width=\"626\" height=\"939\" loading=\"lazy\" data-original-width=\"626\" data-original-height=\"939\" itemprop=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/image\" title=\"\" alt=\"Teams from across the mid-Atlantic gathered face-to-face to compete in popular video games like Valorant, Rocket League and Overwatch 2. Photo by Suzanne Rossi.\" style=\"width: 626px; height: 939px;\"> <\/a> <div class=\"tiled-gallery-caption\" itemprop=\"caption description\"> Teams from across the mid-Atlantic gathered face-to-face to compete in popular video games like Valorant, Rocket League and Overwatch 2. Photo by Suzanne Rossi. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <!-- close group --> <div class=\"gallery-group images-3\" style=\"width: 470px; height: 943px;\" data-original-width=\"470\" data-original-height=\"943\"> <div class=\"tiled-gallery-item tiled-gallery-item-large\" itemprop=\"associatedMedia\" itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/2024\/12\/06\/game-on-umw-esports-tournament-takes-the-program-to-the-next-level\/esportsumw003\/\" border=\"0\" itemprop=\"url\"> <meta itemprop=\"width\" content=\"466\"> <meta itemprop=\"height\" content=\"311\"> <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" data-attachment-id=\"104566\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/eSportsUMW003-scaled.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"2560,1707\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta='{\"aperture\":\"4.5\",\"credit\":\"\",\"camera\":\"ILCE-7M3\",\"caption\":\"\",\"created_timestamp\":\"1732363632\",\"copyright\":\"\",\"focal_length\":\"25\",\"iso\":\"5000\",\"shutter_speed\":\"0.008\",\"title\":\"\",\"orientation\":\"1\"}' data-image-title=\"\" data-image-description=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/eSportsUMW003-300x200.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/eSportsUMW003-1024x683.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/eSportsUMW003-scaled.jpg?w=466&amp;h=311&amp;ssl=1\" srcset=\"\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/eSportsUMW003-scaled.jpg 2560w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/eSportsUMW003-300x200.jpg 300w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/eSportsUMW003-1024x683.jpg 1024w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/eSportsUMW003-768x512.jpg 768w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/eSportsUMW003-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/eSportsUMW003-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" width=\"466\" height=\"311\" loading=\"lazy\" data-original-width=\"466\" data-original-height=\"311\" itemprop=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/image\" title=\"\" alt=\"UMW&rsquo;s coed team displayed skill, strategy and teamwork, with the Eagles earning a pair of top-place finishes. Photo by Suzanne Rossi.\" style=\"width: 466px; height: 311px;\"> <\/a> <div class=\"tiled-gallery-caption\" itemprop=\"caption description\"> UMW&rsquo;s coed team displayed skill, strategy and teamwork, with the Eagles earning a pair of top-place finishes. Photo by Suzanne Rossi. <\/div> <\/div> <div class=\"tiled-gallery-item tiled-gallery-item-large\" itemprop=\"associatedMedia\" itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/2024\/12\/06\/game-on-umw-esports-tournament-takes-the-program-to-the-next-level\/esportsumw025\/\" border=\"0\" itemprop=\"url\"> <meta itemprop=\"width\" content=\"466\"> <meta itemprop=\"height\" content=\"310\"> <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" data-attachment-id=\"104571\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/eSportsUMW025-scaled.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"2560,1707\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta='{\"aperture\":\"9\",\"credit\":\"\",\"camera\":\"ILCE-7M3\",\"caption\":\"\",\"created_timestamp\":\"1732365405\",\"copyright\":\"\",\"focal_length\":\"25\",\"iso\":\"8000\",\"shutter_speed\":\"0.00625\",\"title\":\"\",\"orientation\":\"1\"}' data-image-title=\"\" data-image-description=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/eSportsUMW025-300x200.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/eSportsUMW025-1024x683.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/eSportsUMW025-scaled.jpg?w=466&amp;h=310&amp;ssl=1\" srcset=\"\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/eSportsUMW025-scaled.jpg 2560w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/eSportsUMW025-300x200.jpg 300w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/eSportsUMW025-1024x683.jpg 1024w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/eSportsUMW025-768x512.jpg 768w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/eSportsUMW025-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/eSportsUMW025-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" width=\"466\" height=\"310\" loading=\"lazy\" data-original-width=\"466\" data-original-height=\"310\" itemprop=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/image\" title=\"\" alt=\"UMW&rsquo;s Cedric Rucker University Center Chandler Ballroom was transformed into a lively digital arena for this face-to face esports competition. Photo by Suzanne Rossi.\" style=\"width: 466px; height: 310px;\"> <\/a> <div class=\"tiled-gallery-caption\" itemprop=\"caption description\"> UMW&rsquo;s Cedric Rucker University Center Chandler Ballroom was transformed into a lively digital arena for this face-to face esports competition. Photo by Suzanne Rossi. <\/div> <\/div> <div class=\"tiled-gallery-item tiled-gallery-item-large\" itemprop=\"associatedMedia\" itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/2024\/12\/06\/game-on-umw-esports-tournament-takes-the-program-to-the-next-level\/esportsumw005\/\" border=\"0\" itemprop=\"url\"> <meta itemprop=\"width\" content=\"466\"> <meta itemprop=\"height\" content=\"310\"> <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" data-attachment-id=\"104567\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/eSportsUMW005-scaled.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"2560,1707\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta='{\"aperture\":\"4.5\",\"credit\":\"\",\"camera\":\"ILCE-7M3\",\"caption\":\"\",\"created_timestamp\":\"1732363672\",\"copyright\":\"\",\"focal_length\":\"25\",\"iso\":\"5000\",\"shutter_speed\":\"0.008\",\"title\":\"\",\"orientation\":\"1\"}' data-image-title=\"\" data-image-description=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/eSportsUMW005-300x200.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/eSportsUMW005-1024x683.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/eSportsUMW005-scaled.jpg?w=466&amp;h=310&amp;ssl=1\" srcset=\"\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/eSportsUMW005-scaled.jpg 2560w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/eSportsUMW005-300x200.jpg 300w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/eSportsUMW005-1024x683.jpg 1024w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/eSportsUMW005-768x512.jpg 768w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/eSportsUMW005-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/eSportsUMW005-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" width=\"466\" height=\"310\" loading=\"lazy\" data-original-width=\"466\" data-original-height=\"310\" itemprop=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/image\" title=\"\" alt=\"This year&rsquo;s tournament brought excitement and energy to campus, with teams competing for bragging rights and championship titles. Photo by Suzanne Rossi.\" style=\"width: 466px; height: 310px;\"> <\/a> <div class=\"tiled-gallery-caption\" itemprop=\"caption description\"> This year&rsquo;s tournament brought excitement and energy to campus, with teams competing for bragging rights and championship titles. Photo by Suzanne Rossi. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <!-- close group --> <\/div> <!-- close row --> <\/div><p>At UMW, esports is classified as a team sport under the Department of Athletics, and its players are considered student-athletes, benefiting from coaching, athletic training services and dedicated practice schedules. The team competes regionally in the Mid-Atlantic Esports Conference and nationally through the National Association of Collegiate Esports.<\/p><p>Under the leadership of Link, the program has rapidly expanded, with 52 student-athletes on the current roster and 100 expected by the team&rsquo;s fifth year. High school seniors interested in competing at the college-level can <a href=\"mlink2@umw.edu\">contact Link directly<\/a> for more information on admissions and the esports program.<\/p><p>A former collegiate esports athlete himself, Link brings a wealth of experience and a passion for mentoring students. &ldquo;When we started, we had just a handful of students involved,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;The growth has been fantastic.&rdquo;<\/p><p>The program boasts a high-tech facility in the Cedric Rucker University Center, offering competitive opportunities in games like <em>League of Legends<\/em>, <em>Fortnite<\/em> and more, in addition to the games contested in the tournament. For casual players, the program includes a recreational component and club-level play.<\/p><div class=\"tiled-gallery type-rectangular tiled-gallery-unresized\" data-original-width=\"1100\" data-carousel-extra='{\"blog_id\":7,\"permalink\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.umw.edu\\\/news\\\/2024\\\/12\\\/06\\\/game-on-umw-esports-tournament-takes-the-program-to-the-next-level\\\/\",\"likes_blog_id\":230672515}' itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/ImageGallery\"> <div class=\"gallery-row\" style=\"width: 1100px; height: 491px;\" data-original-width=\"1100\" data-original-height=\"491\"> <div class=\"gallery-group images-1\" style=\"width: 734px; height: 491px;\" data-original-width=\"734\" data-original-height=\"491\"> <div class=\"tiled-gallery-item tiled-gallery-item-large\" itemprop=\"associatedMedia\" itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/2024\/12\/06\/game-on-umw-esports-tournament-takes-the-program-to-the-next-level\/university-of-mary-washington-fredericksburg-va-october-10-2024-4\/\" border=\"0\" itemprop=\"url\"> <meta itemprop=\"width\" content=\"730\"> <meta itemprop=\"height\" content=\"487\"> <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" data-attachment-id=\"104578\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/241010_umw_fall_classes-2702.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"8145,5433\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta='{\"aperture\":\"2.2\",\"credit\":\"Parker Michels-Boyce\",\"camera\":\"Canon EOS R5\",\"caption\":\"University of Mary Washington \\nFredericksburg, VA \\nOctober 10, 2024\",\"created_timestamp\":\"1728606749\",\"copyright\":\"Parker Michels-Boyce Photography\",\"focal_length\":\"64\",\"iso\":\"1600\",\"shutter_speed\":\"0.00625\",\"title\":\"University of Mary Washington \\nFredericksburg, VA \\nOctober 10, 2024\",\"orientation\":\"0\"}' data-image-title=\"\" data-image-description=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/241010_umw_fall_classes-2702-300x200.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/241010_umw_fall_classes-2702-1024x683.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/241010_umw_fall_classes-2702.jpg?w=730&amp;h=487&amp;ssl=1\" srcset=\"\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/241010_umw_fall_classes-2702.jpg 8145w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/241010_umw_fall_classes-2702-300x200.jpg 300w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/241010_umw_fall_classes-2702-1024x683.jpg 1024w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/241010_umw_fall_classes-2702-768x512.jpg 768w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/241010_umw_fall_classes-2702-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" width=\"730\" height=\"487\" loading=\"lazy\" data-original-width=\"730\" data-original-height=\"487\" itemprop=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/image\" title=\"\" alt=\"UMW's esports program boasts a high-tech facility in the Cedric Rucker University Center, offering competitive opportunities in a variety of games.\" style=\"width: 730px; height: 487px;\"> <\/a> <div class=\"tiled-gallery-caption\" itemprop=\"caption description\"> UMW&rsquo;s esports program boasts a high-tech facility in the Cedric Rucker University Center, offering competitive opportunities in a variety of games. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <!-- close group --> <div class=\"gallery-group images-2\" style=\"width: 366px; height: 491px;\" data-original-width=\"366\" data-original-height=\"491\"> <div class=\"tiled-gallery-item tiled-gallery-item-large\" itemprop=\"associatedMedia\" itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/2024\/12\/06\/game-on-umw-esports-tournament-takes-the-program-to-the-next-level\/university-of-mary-washington-fredericksburg-va-october-10-2024\/\" border=\"0\" itemprop=\"url\"> <meta itemprop=\"width\" content=\"362\"> <meta itemprop=\"height\" content=\"242\"> <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" data-attachment-id=\"104575\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/241010_umw_fall_classes-2605.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"8192,5464\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta='{\"aperture\":\"2.2\",\"credit\":\"Parker Michels-Boyce\",\"camera\":\"Canon EOS R5\",\"caption\":\"University of Mary Washington \\nFredericksburg, VA \\nOctober 10, 2024\",\"created_timestamp\":\"1728606311\",\"copyright\":\"Parker Michels-Boyce Photography\",\"focal_length\":\"57\",\"iso\":\"1600\",\"shutter_speed\":\"0.008\",\"title\":\"University of Mary Washington \\nFredericksburg, VA \\nOctober 10, 2024\",\"orientation\":\"0\"}' data-image-title=\"\" data-image-description=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/241010_umw_fall_classes-2605-300x200.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/241010_umw_fall_classes-2605-1024x683.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/241010_umw_fall_classes-2605.jpg?w=362&amp;h=242&amp;ssl=1\" srcset=\"\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/241010_umw_fall_classes-2605.jpg 8192w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/241010_umw_fall_classes-2605-300x200.jpg 300w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/241010_umw_fall_classes-2605-1024x683.jpg 1024w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/241010_umw_fall_classes-2605-768x512.jpg 768w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/241010_umw_fall_classes-2605-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" width=\"362\" height=\"242\" loading=\"lazy\" data-original-width=\"362\" data-original-height=\"242\" itemprop=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/image\" title=\"\" alt=\"The esports suite at UMW is a spot for both competitive and recreational players of all levels.\" style=\"width: 362px; height: 242px;\"> <\/a> <div class=\"tiled-gallery-caption\" itemprop=\"caption description\"> The esports suite at UMW is a spot for both competitive and recreational players of all levels. <\/div> <\/div> <div class=\"tiled-gallery-item tiled-gallery-item-large\" itemprop=\"associatedMedia\" itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/2024\/12\/06\/game-on-umw-esports-tournament-takes-the-program-to-the-next-level\/esportsumw030\/\" border=\"0\" itemprop=\"url\"> <meta itemprop=\"width\" content=\"362\"> <meta itemprop=\"height\" content=\"241\"> <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" data-attachment-id=\"104573\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/eSportsUMW030-scaled.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"2560,1707\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta='{\"aperture\":\"8\",\"credit\":\"\",\"camera\":\"ILCE-7M3\",\"caption\":\"\",\"created_timestamp\":\"1732366132\",\"copyright\":\"\",\"focal_length\":\"25\",\"iso\":\"16000\",\"shutter_speed\":\"0.008\",\"title\":\"\",\"orientation\":\"1\"}' data-image-title=\"\" data-image-description=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/eSportsUMW030-300x200.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/eSportsUMW030-1024x683.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/eSportsUMW030-scaled.jpg?w=362&amp;h=241&amp;ssl=1\" srcset=\"\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/eSportsUMW030-scaled.jpg 2560w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/eSportsUMW030-300x200.jpg 300w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/eSportsUMW030-1024x683.jpg 1024w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/eSportsUMW030-768x512.jpg 768w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/eSportsUMW030-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/eSportsUMW030-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" width=\"362\" height=\"241\" loading=\"lazy\" data-original-width=\"362\" data-original-height=\"241\" itemprop=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/image\" title=\"\" alt=\"UMW Director of Esports Mark Link encourages esports student athletes. Photo by Suzanne Rossi.\" style=\"width: 362px; height: 241px;\"> <\/a> <div class=\"tiled-gallery-caption\" itemprop=\"caption description\"> UMW Director of Esports Mark Link encourages esports student athletes. Photo by Suzanne Rossi. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <!-- close group --> <\/div> <!-- close row --> <div class=\"gallery-row\" style=\"width: 1100px; height: 368px;\" data-original-width=\"1100\" data-original-height=\"368\"> <div class=\"gallery-group images-1\" style=\"width: 550px; height: 368px;\" data-original-width=\"550\" data-original-height=\"368\"> <div class=\"tiled-gallery-item tiled-gallery-item-large\" itemprop=\"associatedMedia\" itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/2024\/12\/06\/game-on-umw-esports-tournament-takes-the-program-to-the-next-level\/esportsumw017\/\" border=\"0\" itemprop=\"url\"> <meta itemprop=\"width\" content=\"546\"> <meta itemprop=\"height\" content=\"364\"> <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" data-attachment-id=\"104570\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/eSportsUMW017-scaled.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"2560,1707\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta='{\"aperture\":\"5.6\",\"credit\":\"\",\"camera\":\"ILCE-7M3\",\"caption\":\"\",\"created_timestamp\":\"1732364849\",\"copyright\":\"\",\"focal_length\":\"25\",\"iso\":\"8000\",\"shutter_speed\":\"0.00625\",\"title\":\"\",\"orientation\":\"1\"}' data-image-title=\"\" data-image-description=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/eSportsUMW017-300x200.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/eSportsUMW017-1024x683.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/eSportsUMW017-scaled.jpg?w=546&amp;h=364&amp;ssl=1\" srcset=\"\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/eSportsUMW017-scaled.jpg 2560w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/eSportsUMW017-300x200.jpg 300w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/eSportsUMW017-1024x683.jpg 1024w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/eSportsUMW017-768x512.jpg 768w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/eSportsUMW017-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/eSportsUMW017-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" width=\"546\" height=\"364\" loading=\"lazy\" data-original-width=\"546\" data-original-height=\"364\" itemprop=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/image\" title=\"\" alt=\"Esports offers opportunities for sportsmanship, competition and personal development comparable to traditional college athletics. Photo by Suzanne Rossi.\" style=\"width: 546px; height: 364px;\"> <\/a> <div class=\"tiled-gallery-caption\" itemprop=\"caption description\"> Esports offers opportunities for sportsmanship, competition and personal development comparable to traditional college athletics. Photo by Suzanne Rossi. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <!-- close group --> <div class=\"gallery-group images-1\" style=\"width: 550px; height: 368px;\" data-original-width=\"550\" data-original-height=\"368\"> <div class=\"tiled-gallery-item tiled-gallery-item-large\" itemprop=\"associatedMedia\" itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/2024\/12\/06\/game-on-umw-esports-tournament-takes-the-program-to-the-next-level\/esportsumw028\/\" border=\"0\" itemprop=\"url\"> <meta itemprop=\"width\" content=\"546\"> <meta itemprop=\"height\" content=\"364\"> <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" data-attachment-id=\"104572\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/eSportsUMW028-scaled.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"2560,1707\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta='{\"aperture\":\"8\",\"credit\":\"\",\"camera\":\"ILCE-7M3\",\"caption\":\"\",\"created_timestamp\":\"1732365516\",\"copyright\":\"\",\"focal_length\":\"25\",\"iso\":\"16000\",\"shutter_speed\":\"0.008\",\"title\":\"\",\"orientation\":\"1\"}' data-image-title=\"\" data-image-description=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/eSportsUMW028-300x200.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/eSportsUMW028-1024x683.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/eSportsUMW028-scaled.jpg?w=546&amp;h=364&amp;ssl=1\" srcset=\"\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/eSportsUMW028-scaled.jpg 2560w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/eSportsUMW028-300x200.jpg 300w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/eSportsUMW028-1024x683.jpg 1024w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/eSportsUMW028-768x512.jpg 768w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/eSportsUMW028-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, \/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/eSportsUMW028-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" width=\"546\" height=\"364\" loading=\"lazy\" data-original-width=\"546\" data-original-height=\"364\" itemprop=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/image\" title=\"\" alt=\"Esports at UMW enhances students&rsquo; co-curricular engagement, career development and friendships while reflecting the University's unique student culture. Photo by Suzanne Rossi.\" style=\"width: 546px; height: 364px;\"> <\/a> <div class=\"tiled-gallery-caption\" itemprop=\"caption description\"> Esports at UMW enhances students&rsquo; co-curricular engagement, career development and friendships while reflecting the University&rsquo;s unique student culture. Photo by Suzanne Rossi. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <!-- close group --> <\/div> <!-- close row --> <\/div><p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s not just about gaming; it&rsquo;s about using your people and analysis skills, formulating and executing plans, and dealing with high-pressure situations,&rdquo; said Jake Lipinski, a junior computer science major who competes for UMW in <em>Overwatch 2<\/em> and <em>Super Smash Bros. Ultimate<\/em>. &ldquo;Esports has given me a chance to grow both as a player and a communicator. It&rsquo;s an experience I&rsquo;ll carry with me beyond graduation.&rdquo;<\/p><p>It&rsquo;s also an experience open to everyone. &ldquo;We are really drawn to the inclusive nature of esports,&rdquo; said UMW Director of Athletics Patrick Catullo in a story introducing the sport at Mary Washington. The program enhances students&rsquo; co-curricular engagement, career development and friendships while reflecting Mary Washington&rsquo;s unique student culture.<\/p><p>&ldquo;Esports in an excellent way for students to develop the cross-functional talents needed for the modern workplace,&rdquo; said Jay Sinha &rsquo;07, a UMW alumnus and cybersecurity attorney with the Department of Justice, in a Q&amp;A on the team&rsquo;s website. &ldquo;Players hone soft skills like effective communication, teamwork and flexibility, while also engaging technology concepts like system rules and user behavior.&rdquo;<\/p><p>For more information on esports at UMW, <a href=\"mlink2@umw.edu\">contact Director of Esports Mark Link<\/a> or visit <a href=\"https:\/\/umweagles.com\/sports\/esports\">esports<\/a> on the athletics website.<\/p><p>&nbsp;<\/p><p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The University of Mary Washington&rsquo;s esports program took center stage in the gaming world as it hosted its first large-scale collegiate tournament late last month, transforming the Cedric Rucker University Center Chandler Ballroom into a lively digital arena. Whizzes, bangs and friendly banter rang out, as teams from across the mid-Atlantic gathered face-to-face to compete [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5200,"featured_media":104581,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"umw_cb_additional_links":[[]],"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_advisory_expires_time":"","_advisory_meta_include":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[704],"tags":[],"topics":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-104565","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-top-stories","8":"entry"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.3 (Yoast SEO v27.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Game On: UMW Esports Tournament Takes the Program to the Next Level - News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/2024\/12\/06\/game-on-umw-esports-tournament-takes-the-program-to-the-next-level\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Game On: UMW Esports Tournament Takes the Program to the Next Level\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The University of Mary Washington&rsquo;s esports program took center stage in the gaming world as it hosted its first large-scale collegiate tournament late last month, transforming the Cedric Rucker University Center Chandler Ballroom into a lively digital arena. Whizzes, bangs and friendly banter rang out, as teams from across the mid-Atlantic gathered face-to-face to compete [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/2024\/12\/06\/game-on-umw-esports-tournament-takes-the-program-to-the-next-level\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/UniversityofMaryWashington\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-12-06T15:55:14+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-12-06T15:55:41+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/12\/NewRelease_eSports.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"413\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Sarah Hertz Mahoney\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@UMaryWash\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@UMaryWash\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Sarah Mahoney\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.umw.edu\\\/news\\\/2024\\\/12\\\/06\\\/game-on-umw-esports-tournament-takes-the-program-to-the-next-level\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.umw.edu\\\/news\\\/2024\\\/12\\\/06\\\/game-on-umw-esports-tournament-takes-the-program-to-the-next-level\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Sarah Hertz Mahoney\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.umw.edu\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/ca489a61d7afe14e7dc34df87cbafec2\"},\"headline\":\"Game On: UMW Esports Tournament Takes the Program to the Next Level\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-12-06T15:55:14+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-12-06T15:55:41+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.umw.edu\\\/news\\\/2024\\\/12\\\/06\\\/game-on-umw-esports-tournament-takes-the-program-to-the-next-level\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":686,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.umw.edu\\\/news\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.umw.edu\\\/news\\\/2024\\\/12\\\/06\\\/game-on-umw-esports-tournament-takes-the-program-to-the-next-level\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.umw.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/7\\\/2024\\\/12\\\/NewRelease_eSports.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Top Stories\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.umw.edu\\\/news\\\/2024\\\/12\\\/06\\\/game-on-umw-esports-tournament-takes-the-program-to-the-next-level\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.umw.edu\\\/news\\\/2024\\\/12\\\/06\\\/game-on-umw-esports-tournament-takes-the-program-to-the-next-level\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.umw.edu\\\/news\\\/2024\\\/12\\\/06\\\/game-on-umw-esports-tournament-takes-the-program-to-the-next-level\\\/\",\"name\":\"Game On: UMW Esports Tournament Takes the Program to the Next Level - 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