AUTHOR: CHRIS "BEARLIGHT" LEE / @BEARLIGHTCASTS
Stay Plugged In's prestigious "Campus Series" reemerged for a second weekend in a row this past Saturday and Sunday. The Seton Hall Campus Series LAN drew a large number of high school esports athletes and their parents to the campus of Seton Hall University just outside of New York City. As the fourth live recruiting event produced by the SPIN crew this season, the organization continues to display their dedication to providing students with prime collegiate esports recruiting opportunities.
High school recruits competed in a two-day bracket in Rocket League and Super Smash Bros.™ Ultimate, seeking a piece of the $400 prize pool as well as the eyes of active recruiters. Quite a few of these recruiters have the availability to award scholarship money to students to compete at the next level, and events like these allow them to meet the students they've connected with in the past, and make new connections as well. The weekend also featured a collegiate Rocket League rival competition, the "Battle of the High Seas", featuring Seton Hall's team squaring off against UCONN and other well-known schools from the area.
Outside of competition, attending students and their parents took a tour of the 58-acre campus at Seton Hall, receiving a first-hand opportunity to feel what campus life would be like upon committing to the four-year program. It also included a visit to the SHU esports facilities, where the prospects were shown the "battle room" and advanced equipment utilized by the Seton Hall Pirates.
Like any and all events hosted by Stay Plugged In, the main focus of the weekend was recruiting. Rows of tables dedicated to travelling collegiate esports programs greeted visitors as they walked in the door. The College Fair enabled directors and coaches to get to know the students and their goals, and in turn, they were able to inform the students of how their school might help them reach those goals.
Stay Plugged In would like to thank Seton Hall Esports staff members and volunteers for their hand in the successful event, as well as all of the travelling students, parents, and colleges who make events like this so special.
Check out the results of the Seton Hall Campus Series LAN high school esports competition from the weekend below!
ROCKET LEAGUE
CHAMPIONS: PUTNAM SCIENCE ACADEMY
ROSTER: WOLFII, KOFYR, AMINIMONKI
MVP: AMINIMONKI
Freshman from Connecticut, "aMiniMonki", earns MVP status for Rocket League thanks to an unmatched consistency in offensive contribution for PSA over the weekend, capped by a 4/5/9 (Goals/Assists/Shots) performance in the Grand Finals.
SUPER SMASH BROS.™ ULTIMATE
CHAMPION & MVP: CRIMSONABE
New Jersey native and senior "CrimsonAbe" didn't drop a single series, going a perfect (9-0) in matches played, with an incredible game Win/Loss record of 24-3 during that same time span.
SENIOR SPOTLIGHT
Our Senior Spotlight for the Seton Hall Campus Series LAN features the all-senior team of Summit High. The SHS Hilltoppers may have lost 3-0 in round 2 of bracket play, but they powered through the lower side of the bracket to beat the same team they lost to (Dreamland) 3-1 in the Lower Finals, to make it to the Grand Finals. All three of them dug deep to make a Finals bid and finish as Runner-Ups in the bracket, and will no doubt be after the title in their next Stay Plugged In event appearance.