Top 3 Finishes for Valorant and Crew Battle Teams; Lukachko Finishes Second in Hearthstone
April 19, 2026 - - The Lorain County Community College Esports program concluded a strong week of NJCAAE postseason competition with appearances in two national championship events and a podium finish in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Crew Battle.
Hearthstone (Division III Championship)
Austin Lukachko (North Ridgeville, Ohio/North Ridgeville HS) competed in the NJCAAE Division III National Championship after an impressive tournament run as the No. 8 seed. Lukachko faced Salt Lake Community College in the title match, ultimately finishing as the national runner-up following a 3-0 result.
Valorant (Division III Championship)
The No. 3-seeded Valorant team of Lukachko, 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), Oliver Chambers (Collins, Ohio/Edison HS), and Robert Smith (Lorain, Ohio/Firelands HS) competed in the NJCAAE Division III National Championship.
LCCC battled St. Charles Community College in a tightly contested series, taking the first round before ultimately falling 2-1 to finish as national runner-up in Division III.
For Taylor, Braylon Zeman, Kylie Zeman, and Misconish, the finals appearance marked a significant milestone, as the group has spent nearly two years competing together and developing the chemistry that fueled their postseason success.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Crew Battle (Division III)
The Commodores capped the week with a third-place finish in the NJCAAE Division III Crew Battle postseason tournament. The team of Gabriel Beckstrom (Lorain, Ohio/Clearview HS), Traceton Bell (Oberlin, Ohio/Oberlin HS), Braydon Dobos, Austin Lukachko (North Ridgeville, Ohio/North Ridgeville HS), Jerron Warner (Avon, Ohio/Avon HS), and Christopher Gonet (Lorain, Ohio/LCCC Early College) earned a 2-1 victory over Walters State Community College in the consolation match.
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.
For more information on LCCC Athletics, visit athletics.lorainccc.edu.