Keyano Huskies Esports VALORANT team qualifies for RedBull Campus Clutch Nationals

Left-to-right: Jaryd MacIntosh, Ty Savostianik, Evan Blackmore, Adam Aboukass, Christian Rosquillo, Cooper Simpson, Shadi Hanna // Photo by Robert Murray, Huskies Athletics

October 20, 2023

On Saturday, October 14th, the Huskies made national headlines after qualifying for the RedBull Campus Clutch Finals. With wins over Sheridan College in Ontario, the University of Alberta and the University of British Columbia to close out the day, the Huskies proved that they have what it takes to compete with the best in the country.

The RedBull Campus Clutch competition is an international esports event that takes place each year during the Fall semester. Students from across the globe participate in a series of national qualifying events featuring Riot Games’ hit tactical shooter title, VALORANT, for a chance to compete on the national stage. The top teams in each country face-off in a head-to-head, single-elimination style bracket until only one team remains, the winner of which receives an all-expenses paid trip to the World Championship in November.

This year, the World Finals are set to take place in Istanbul, Turkey at the Volkswagen Arena – the same arena that hosted the 2022 VALORANT Champions Tour. In their attempt to receive an invitation to this prestigious event, the Huskies will face off against other college and university teams from across the country, including teams from fellow Alberta schools: the University of Alberta and the University of Calgary.

“It’s a very exciting time to be a Keyano Husky,” says head coach, Shadi Hanna. “To see this young roster achieve so much success in such a short period of time has been very thrilling to watch.”

The Huskies VALORANT team competes in a number of different collegiate esports events. The team is currently undefeated in league play in the National Esports Collegiate Conference Champions League [NECC] and finished the regular season with a 5-1 record in the National Association of Collegiate Esports Starleague [NACE]. With many important and exciting competitions on the horizon for the Huskies, there is a ton of pressure on this roster to perform.

Jaryd MacIntosh, the rookie in-game leader and flex player for the Huskies, says that he feels confident in what the team can accomplish. “I’m hoping that we can show that we’re the best in Canada, and that we’ve been working hard to prove it.”

Alongside Jaryd stand returning veterans Ty Savostianik, Cooper Simpson and Evan Blackmore, as well as new recruits, Christian Rosquillo and Adam Aboukass. Since May, the team has been training together daily in preparation for the collegiate season.

“It’s a lot like having another job. You’re putting in multiple hours every day. For me, it’s often around 6 hours a day of practice & training,” explains MacIntosh. In preparation for the upcoming Nationals event, the Huskies have been training, reviewing and scrimmaging six days a week in the new Keyano Esports Arena.

“The opportunity that Keyano is offering is awesome and it’s a great way to pave the way for more opportunities for young people; to see that your passions can create opportunities for you to prepare yourself for your future.”

The Huskies will take to the stage on October 28th at 11AM for the first day of the National Qualifying tournament. Huskies fans are invited to attend the live, in-person viewing of the event at the Keyano College Clearwater Campus in the Doug Schmidt Lecture Theatre.

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