“Winning this event meant everything for my gaming career,” said Lance Regan ’25, MS ’26 team captain and first-year film, television, media major. “Thousands of hours put into playing all day and night to finally win something as big as a championship was amazing.”

The team overcame countless obstacles to earn the MAAC title.

“Quinnipiac supported our victory first and foremost with the eSports lab, having the high-quality eSports lab up at York Hill gave me a second home apart from my dorm,” Regan said.

He praised the team dynamic as five great friends who work together for the common goal of winning.
Javier Flores ’25 agreed.

“Being more than just teammates, we're friends before teammates,” he said.

“This event brought the five of us closer than ever before,” he said. “I just want to thank everybody in both the MAAC and Quinnipiac who helped my team along the way, so many obstacles made the win that much more worth it. Thank you to my mom, dad, and my twin brother, Alex, for watching on and for kicking me off my computer every night.”

He also expressed appreciation for his teammates and eSports director, Mike Medina, for carrying him through the entire tournament.

Fox Perelson ’25 urged aspiring gamers to watch what others do — and emulate their techniques.

“My advice for any younger person trying to break onto the eSports scene is to watch what the pro-players do,” he said. “They are the best for a reason.”

“We are very proud of our students' performances at the MAAC eSports Championships,” said Mike Medina, director of recreation. “The growth of Quinnipiac's eSports program over the last two years has increased the number of students by 50% while increasing from 3 to 5 competitive teams this year.”

It's even more impressive that the Valorant team earned a championship in their first full competitive season, Medina added. “Coming from behind to defeat the top seed was an amazing win for our students,” he said. “I can't wait to see our students compete in Arlington, Texas at the CECC eSports Championships. The opportunity to compete in the largest eSports facility in North America will be an amazing experience for our students.”