Esports Team Rockets to First Place, Claiming NACE Championship Title Thursday, April 17, 2025
The Point Park University Rocket League team triumphed in the finals against Virginia Wesleyan University to claim the title of National Association of Collegiate Esports Divisional Champions on April 7. Point Park defeated Virginia Wesleyan four to one in the seven-game series.
The champion team was comprised of students Caleb Knox, Francisco ("Xisco") Bergas Jaume and Ian Thomas, with Theodore Malinowski serving as substitute. The team concluded their regular season at 6-1 and went on an undefeated run in the playoffs to claim the championship title.
"The squad we faced in the finals was the only team to hand us a loss during the regular season," said Christopher Gaul, esports director and coach. "Getting revenge for that defeat in the championship match was something the players were looking forward to."
Knox, who has been part of the Point Park esports team since 2022, served as a leader among the newer players.
"For Xisco and Ian, it was their first semester ever playing collegiate esports," Knox said. "They were new to everything, so I had to be on my toes and help them through the process. All of us have played other sports and recognized what it takes to win, so that was the easy part, in that our minds were locked in on one thing: getting better. If you focus on winning, you won't get better, but if you focus on getting better, you will win."
Despite only playing together since January, the team quickly developed a strong rapport. "We have always worked well together and built a lot of trust over the spring season, and it showed up in the final series," Thomas said.
"One of our greatest assets is how well everyone collaborates," Gaul said. "They communicate effectively, trust one another and demonstrate a genuine dedication to improving their skills — both individually and collectively. I truly couldn’t be more proud of their hard work and dedication."
"It means a lot to not only me but to everyone in the program. We're all a family and cheer on each other regardless of the game," Knox said.
This is Point Park esports' first finals appearance and first finals victory since the program began in 2020. The team competes in all major collegiate leagues, including NACE, CVAL, CLoL and others. NACE is comprised of over 220 colleges and universities.
Point Park's esports program is unique in that it includes not only athletes but also content creators, who photograph, stream and provide commentary on each match, providing them with broadcasting experience. It is also one of the few varsity-level esports university teams in Pittsburgh and offers scholarships to all new members of both the athletic team and the content-creation team.
In addition to the undergraduate esports team, Point Park recently announced a new Esports Program Facilitator Certificate geared at educators who want to build or improve an esports team at their institution. Gaul is a co-teacher of the course, along with Dr. Donald Marinelli, director of the Center for Experiential Narrative Technologies at Point Park.