More Wins for Valorant, Smash Bros. Crew Battle and Mario Kart’s Reichert
April 5, 2026 - - The Lorain County Community College Esports program wrapped up another week of NJCAAE spring competition with strong performances across multiple titles during the week of March 30–April 3, 2026. The Commodores were highlighted by continued success in Mario Kart, a dominant finish to the Valorant regular season, and a pair of wins in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Crew Battle play as Division III teams continued Opt-In Qualifier competition.
Chess (Division III)
Austin Lukachko (North Ridgeville, Ohio/North Ridgeville HS) received a bye in Week 9 Opt-In Qualifier play. Megan Dobos (Oberlin, Ohio/Oberlin HS) competed in the lone match of the day, falling to NorthWest Arkansas Community College.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (Division I & II)
Jerron Warner (Avon, Ohio/Avon HS) led the way in Division I, earning a 3-0 sweep over Guilford Technical Community College. Warner also pushed a tight 3-2 match against SUNY Onondaga before dropping his final contest of the day. Austin Lukachko (North Ridgeville, Ohio/North Ridgeville HS) and Braydon Dobos each fell in their Division I matchups.
In Division II, Traceton Bell (Oberlin, Ohio/Oberlin HS) secured a narrow 3-2 victory over Northwest Florida State College.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (Division III)
Jason Thomas (Lorain, Ohio/Clearview HS) split his matches during Week 10 play, earning a 3-0 win over Ellsworth Community College. Thomas also competed in two tightly contested matches, including a 3-2 loss to Heartland Community College. Bell added a Division III appearance, falling in his matchup against Crowder College.
Hearthstone (Division III)
Xander Taylor (Elyria, Ohio/Huron HS) continued his strong play, earning a pair of 3-0 wins over LCCC teammate Austin Lukachko and Finger Lakes Community College. Veronica Gibson (Sandusky, Ohio/Trinity HS) also posted an undefeated day, picking up a pair of wins.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Division III)
Braden Reichert (North Ridgeville, Ohio/Avon HS) remained one of LCCC's top performers, collecting three wins on the week with victories over Finger Lakes Community College, Rose State College, and Heartland Community College. Reichert's run was halted in his final race, falling to Marshalltown Community College which snapped a nine-match winning streak.
Valorant (Division III)
The Valorant squad of Austin Lukachko (North Ridgeville, Ohio/North Ridgeville HS), Brody Taylor (North Ridgeville, Ohio/North Ridgeville HS), Braylon Zeman (North Ridgeville, Ohio/North Ridgeville HS), Kylie Zeman (North Ridgeville, Ohio/North Ridgeville HS), Tyler Misconish (Strongsville, Ohio/Strongsville HS), and Oliver Chambers (Collins, Ohio/Edison HS) closed out the spring season in dominant fashion.
The Commodores defeated Forsyth Technical Community College, 2-0, before adding a 2-1 win over Grayson College. With the results, LCCC finished the spring season a perfect 12-0, compiling an impressive 24-1 record in rounds played.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Crew Battles (Division III)
LCCC's crew battle squads closed the week with two wins in Opt-In Qualifier play. The group featuring Warner, Christopher Gonet (Lorain, Ohio/LCCC Early College), and Lukachko earned a 2-0 victory over Iowa Western Community College. A second squad of Gabriel Beckstrom (Lorain, Ohio/Clearview HS), Bell, Dobos, and Lukachko followed with another 2-0 win over Iowa Western.
About CommodoreEsports:
LCCC's Esports team competes in the National Junior College Athletic Association Esports (NJCAAE), which is divided into three competition divisions:
Division 1: The highest level of NJCAAE competition, featuring teams composed of eligible students.
Division 2: The mid-level competition, also for teams of eligible students.
Division 3: The most accessible level, open to participants who do not have to meet student eligibility requirements but must be associated with LCCC.
The NJCAAE has two seasons: fall (September–December) and spring (February–April). Both seasons last seven weeks before the postseason begins. LCCC has players competing across all three divisions, and full-time students can choose to participate in any tier.
Games LCCC Esports Competes or has competed in:
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate – A fighting game featuring characters from the Nintendo universe, played on the Nintendo Switch. Players can compete in 1v1 best-of-five matches or Crew Battle, a 3v3 elimination-style format.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – A racing game featuring Nintendo characters, also played on the Nintendo Switch.
Valorant – A PC first-person shooter where teams of five compete in a best-of-three format. One team attempts to plant and detonate a spike, while the opposing team tries to defuse it.
Overwatch 2 – Another first-person shooter, in which teams compete using unique hero characters.
Fortnite – LCCC began competing in this battle royale game in 2024.
Marvel Rivals – A 6v6 third-person shooter featuring characters from the Marvel Universe, with LCCC set to begin competition in spring 2025.
Rainbow 6 Siege - a tactical, online multiplayer shooter where two teams of five compete in high-stakes scenarios like hostage rescues and bomb defusals. The game features intense, close-quarters combat within highly destructible indoor environments, forcing players to strategize using specialized "Operators" with unique skills and gadgets.
Madden – A football simulation game.
Tekken & Street Fighter – Both hand-to-hand combat fighting games.
Hearthstone - Building upon the existing lore of the Warcraft series, a turn-based card game between two opponents, using constructed decks of 30 cards along with a selected hero with a unique power.
Call of Duty: Warzone - Battle royale style first-person shooter game
Chess - The classic strategy board game for two players, who each move 16 pieces of six different types across a 64-square checkered board. The objective is to checkmate the opponent's king, which occurs when the king is under attack and has no legal move to escape.