Blinn won two matches — a semifinal tilt against the University of South Carolina -Sumter and the championship bout against Central Community College — to win the NJCAA Esports championship.
The Buccaneers won both best-of-five matchups 3-1.
Competing for the Bucs were David Rodriguez, Landon Campos, Logan Rivera, and Wesley King.
“Everything this team represents was on full display today,” Blinn assistant coach and Call of Duty manager Ryan Lucich said. “The resiliency of our players shined through, and as I’ve said all semester, I am so proud of the work our players put in and they more than earned this title. Every player stepped up and had their moments when it mattered most.”
The victory was also notable for the Bucs after the team fell to Central during the NJCAA Esports regular season and in the title bout of the NJCAA Esports Regional Playoffs.
“Facing Central in the finals gave us a shot at redemption, and we had a chip on our shoulders,” said Rodriguez, who serves as the team’s captain. “We came into the matchup inspired, and to see us win a national title and finish the year as the top team in the country is exciting.”
Since beginning play in the fall of 2020, Blinn esports has won two national championships while earning several runner-up finishes. The Buccaneer Valorant team captured the program’s first national title in the spring when it earned the NJCAA Esports crown.
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 44 NJCAA national championships since 1987.?
