Regional esports tournament draws nearly 100 high school gamers
1819 Innovation Hub partners with Esports Ohio at May event
The buzz of excitement was evident on May 6 and 7 as 90 students gathered from nine participating high schools across the region and competed in the Southwest Ohio Esports Regional Tournament.
The University of Cincinnati partnered with Esports Ohio to host the tournament at the UC Esports Lab inside the 1819 Innovation Hub.
High schools
Teams were decked out in their school colors as they entered the 5,500-square-foot, state-of-the-art esports lab. Nine local high schools including the following below, competed in the regional tournament.
- Moeller
- Indian Hill
- Kings
Full List of Esports Ohio HS member schools
The atmosphere in the esports lab was electric, with rapid clicking sounds of numerous controllers filling the air, accompanied by the occasional roar of team members after an impressive play.
It was an exciting weekend and a great opportunity for UC Esports Lab to showcase our space and build relationships with the broader Ohio academic community.
Patty Moser Director of experience, events and esports in the 1819 Innovation Hub
Engagement and recruitment
The tournament was the brainchild of teachers who created Esports Ohio, a free-to-join educational nonprofit organization and league for students. For the Esports Innovation Lab, the tournament was an opportunity to engage with the regional esports community and recruit potential UC students.
“UC Esports is building relationships with multiple high schools and districts in the region. As we look to expand our efforts, Esports Ohio is a great partner to help us achieve this goal,” said Patty Moser, director of experience and events in the 1819 Innovation Hub.
“In addition to the competition, the event aimed to expose high school students to the university campus and its academic programs and provide opportunities to meet with current students and faculty. Representatives were available to provide guidance and answer questions for students already considering UC as their choice for undergraduate studies.”
The UC Esports Innovation Lab hosts high school students from the region competing in the Southwest Ohio Esports Regional Tournament.
A growing campus and global community
The tournament featured popular esports games, including:
- Fortnite
- Overwatch
- Rocket League
- Super Smash Bros.
- Valorant
Winning teams received trophies and the opportunity to compete in the inaugural state championship on May 19 in Akron, Ohio.
“It was an exciting weekend and a great opportunity for UC Esports Lab to showcase our space and build relationships with the broader Ohio academic community," Moser said. "It was exciting to witness the students strategizing while demonstrating teamwork and collaboration, just a few of the skills esports cultivates. For the university, it was a chance to demonstrate UC’s commitment to innovation and engagement in the rapidly evolving world of esports.”
On Sunday, students filed out of the UC Esports Lab, tired but exhilarated. For some, it could be the beginning of a journey that leads them back to UC as future students, esports competitors and members of a vibrant and growing campus and global community.
Featured image at top: The UC Esports Lab hosts high school students in the Southwest Ohio Esports Regional Tournament. Photos/provided
Esports at UC
Learn more about UC's 1819 Innovation Hub and the Esports Innovation Lab
Related Stories
CNN: UC group aims to change air travel with 'Coffee House Cabin'
May 4, 2021
People seem eager to plan vacations, especially after this past year, but the pandemic means the future of air travel could change. A group of University of Cincinnati students and professors are trying to pilot an innovative idea.
A new treatment for rare muscular disease
April 16, 2021
Hani Kushlaf, MD, presented findings on a new treatment for Pompe disease, a rare neuromuscular disease, virtually at the American Academy of Neurology on April 17.
Yahoo: Researchers find a new treatment for rare muscular disease
April 16, 2021
University of Cincinnati researchers have found a newer, more effective treatment for the disease Pompe that could become the new standard of care for the rare condition.
WLWT: COVID-19 and long-term mental health symptoms
April 13, 2021
Henry Nasrallah, MD, discusses a new study showing some people infected with COVID-19 have long-term mental health symptoms.
UC garners sustainable, green campus success
April 19, 2021
University of Cincinnati Gold LEED certifications, student-involved energy-efficient programs and climate-friendly green technologies elevate UC to a national award-winning sustainable campus.
Greece honors two UC Classics researchers with ‘Order of Phoenix’
April 19, 2021
The president of Greece honored University of Cincinnati Classics researchers Jack Davis and Sharon Stocker by bestowing upon them one of the country’s most prestigious awards, Commander of the Order of the Phoenix. The two made several groundbreaking archaeological discoveries in Pylos that are shaping our understanding of ancient Greece.
Flyover Future: UC's David Adams gives peek inside CID's success
April 21, 2021
Local publication Cincinnati Future interviews University of Cincinnati Chief Innovation Officer David Adams about the success of the Cincinnati Innovation District's first year. In spite of the pandemic, Adams shares how the purpose-built innovation model continues to grow, attract and retain talent to the Greater Cincinnati Region.
Fight or flight response may hinge on protein in skeletal muscular system
April 22, 2021
Taejeong Song, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow in the UC College of Medicine, says a regulatory protein found in skeletal muscle fiber may play an important role in the body’s fight or flight response when encountering dangerous situations.
UC celebrates a century of Classics scholarship
April 29, 2021
The University of Cincinnati’s Classics Department celebrates its centennial this month — 100 years of unearthing the past, rewriting history and celebrating ancient cultures that have shaped modern life.
Idle wells could be big source of methane releases
April 27, 2021
Uncapped, idle oil wells could be leaking millions of kilograms of methane each year into the atmosphere and surface water, according to a study by the University of Cincinnati.