A TEAM of esports students from Wiltshire College & University Centre returned in triumph to their Trowbridge campus with a trophy after winning a four-team tournament.
The five first and second year Level 3 students, who also compete for the college’s Moonrakers esports team, took on Swindon College and South Gloucester and Stroud College as well as the host, Sparsholt College’s Andover campus.
The tournament was divided into rounds and by the end of the first session the Wiltshire team found themselves in a strong second place after a brilliant showing in two sessions of head-to-head combat in games of first-person shooter Overwatch.
The team, made up of Harry Hicks, Kit Mogg, Lucas Davis, Taylor Cronin and Tyler Wolfe, showed their ability in the follow-up Video On Demand (VOD) session, where they had to analyse their morning’s performance, said Quality and Innovation Lead Rhian Ramsden.
“They had a game plan before they went in, they knew what they wanted to do and how they were going to play it,” she said. “The game plan worked very well and their analysis was very, very good. The observers thought they were very insightful.”
The afternoon session saw more head-to-head action on team-based tactical first-person shooter Valorant. It ended in a convincing win that meant the team collected the trophy.
“It was an excellent all round performance and they all represented the college really well,” said Rhian. “It was a great team effort thanks to some really good leadership and also a lot of hard work over the last few months from lecturer Matt Sproston who coached them and helped them prepare.”
She said that aside from the gaming, the outing was a good learning experience. “It’s really helpful for them to see what other colleges and students are doing,” she said. “I think it’s really good for them as well to have to interact with other people, because they had to talk to the other students, that was really beneficial.
“Competitions are good because in a way, adult life can be one big competition, and it helps students to understand that you can work hard and do your best and you might not win, but that’s okay, you just keep plugging away.
“They are really good as well for bringing a team together. They’ve been thrown into a situation they’ve never been in before, and it is sink or swim, and they’ve absolutely crushed it.”
The competition is part of the South West Skills Challenge, which is designed to bring students from different colleges together to test their knowledge and build confidence. The college will be playing host to the next challenge, in health and social care, in May.
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