Esports team takes second place nationally

The University of North Georgia (UNG) Esports team finished second in the Local Area Network event at the National Esports Collegiate Conference (NECC) during the spring semester in San Antonio, Texas. That success followed UNG's Halo national title in fall 2024.

Team members for the spring national runner-up group from UNG were Nicholas Flynn, Wyatt Gowan, Clayton Poore, Dalton Ragon, and Jay Turner.

Flynn, a sophomore from Cumming, Georgia, pursuing a degree in cybersecurity, was grateful to be able to travel to Texas to compete. The Esports program has been a meaningful experience for him in a variety of ways.

"It's a lot of fun. You get to meet a ton of people. I've made a bunch of friends doing it," Flynn said. "It's up and coming. It's only getting bigger. There are more and more opportunities for people to play and hopefully win."

Poore, a senior from Dahlonega, Georgia, pursuing a degree in computer science, has appreciated the way Esports has helped him gain "friends I will have for a long time" after enrolling in UNG at age 14 and trying to find his footing socially. He has been one of the driving forces behind the program's growth.

"I've really enjoyed seeing where UNG Esports has come from where we were," Poore said. "The support of UNG means everything to me."

Nathaniel Hehl, UNG Esports supervisor, said both the conference and the competition were beneficial at NECC.

"We made a lot of great connections," Hehl said. "This has been our most successful school year thus far for the Esports program at UNG."