[ athletics ]
SMSU Esports Completes First Segment of Inaugural Season SMSU’s 19th intercollegiate sport, Esports, completed the first segment of its inaugural season in October as the team closed out the fall portion of its 2020-21 season. SMSU, which announced the addition of Esports on Dec. 11, 2019, had 30 students on the inaugural roster for head coach Spencer Louwagie, who also works as an Information Technology Specialist at the University. The Esports team competed in three different “games” during the months of September and October versus schools from all over the country. The fall schedule had the Mustangs compete in nine games in the “Rocket League,” four matches in “Valorant League” and four more matches in “Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.” SMSU will also
compete in games such as “League of Legends,”“Overwatch,” “Fortnite,” “CSGO” and “Starcraft,” which will be determined based on student interest. SMSU’s first-ever Esports victory came in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, with a 2-0 victory over Concordia-St. Paul. The Esports team, which competes in the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE), has a specific practice and competition space located in the Science & Technology building on campus. The room will eventually be outfitted with 24, top-of-the-line machines and gaming stations, in order to give the studentathletes the best possible conditions to perform.
SMSU Athletes Engage in Community Service To Stay Connected
The Southwest Minnesota State University Athletics Department is proud to call Marshall and southwest Minnesota home. Again this fall, SMSU’s nearly 400 student-athletes, coaches and staff are committed to being active members within the community. The SMSU men’s basketball team partnered again with the United Way of Southwest Minnesota in its “Read for the Record” program. The team helped facilitate virtual readings of books at more than 150 locations, including classrooms, child care centers and libraries throughout the region. Numerous teams again this year volunteered to help with fall clean-up at homes in Marshall, including the volleyball team, pictured above. The
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work included raking leaves, cleaning garages and more. “Our football program is committed to serving the community of Marshall,” said Cory Sauter, SMSU head football coach. “This year we created a program called Servant Leadership Wednesday. Each Wednesday our team is involved in a community service project. We are so thankful for the support the city provides our university and student-athletes.” Community engagement is a key part of Division II’s strategic initiatives. The effort emphasizes not only the relationship of the athletics program with the community, but also the interaction of the overall institution with the community in which it is located.
