Esports team wins third consecutive Rocket League WHAC championship

By Allison Scott

A member of the RCU Esports Team practices for an upcoming tournament

The Rochester Christian University esports team claimed its third consecutive WHAC Rocket League Tournament Championship on Nov. 2, defeating its rival #2 seed Sienna Heights University in overtime.

The esports team, which consists of about 20 players, competes in the following video games:

• League of Legends

• Overwatch

• Rocket League

• Super Smash Bros

• Valorant

In late October, RCU’s esports squad competed in the Great Lakes Esports Conference in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The Rocket League team came in at number four after a hard-fought loss in the semifinals with Indiana Tech.

RCU’s Valorant Crimson team delivered an impressive performance at the conference but fell to Michigan State University in the final. After completing the third day of competitions, they competed against Grand Valley State University, securing their spot in the grand finals.

A student practices for an upcoming tournament.

RCU's Valorant Grey team achieved a milestone by winning its first-ever match. However, Grand Valley State University defeated them in the next round.

Freshman Thomas Geer said the team is successful because of “the hard work everyone puts in, everyone at RCU for supporting us and our program, and Coach [Chris] Ainhorn.” 

Junior Valorant player Gadiel Herrera credits the team's success to having “good players and knowledge.” He said the players want to: “Go and win it all.”

In the 2023 season, RCU’s Overwatch team won silver in the WHAC tournament after sweeping through its first two opponents. The Valorant and Rocket League squads were undefeated in the National Association of Collegiate Esports play.

In July 2024, RCU’s Valorant team earned recognition at the NACE awards with nominations in Coach of the Year and All-Stars Second Team.

As of November, three RCU Rocket League players have received All-Conference honors: Luca Alfaro and Branden Nytsch made First Team All-Conference, while Mark Spikula made Second Team All-Conference.

Created in 2022, RCU’s esports team is led by Coach Christopher Ainhorn. Before coaching the Warriors, Ainhorn helped start Oakland University's esports program.