At Fenworks Esports state tournament, athletes have fun, make friends and learn skills needed in STEM careers
“Let’s hear it for Minot!” shouted Collin Hanson, as a group of maroon- and gold-garbed high school students made its way across a stage set up in the Memorial Union Ballroom on March 28.
Hanson, a senior community development planner with the city of Grand Forks, was working on Friday as co-emcee of the 2025 Fenworks North Dakota Esports State Tournament.
Given that there were more than 140 high school esports teams in attendance at the UND-hosted tournament, Hanson (with co-emcee Blue Weber) had a lot of introductory shout-outs to give as each team made its way across the stage.
The tournament is in its fourth year overall and second year of being hosted at UND. It brings together high school teams from each corner of the state to compete in games such as VALORANT, Rocket League, Mario Kart 8 and more.
Teams also competed in chess, complete with knee-high pieces arranged on an oversized board on the ground.
Kaleb Dschaak, chief executive officer of Fenworks and a former UND student body vice president, said he felt the energy of the event, and that he was pleased to give students the chance to compete.
“We are so excited to see hundreds of North Dakota students gathered together participating in an event that matters to them, that makes them feel like they belong, and that lets their family and their community cheer them on,” he said.
Dschaak said the tournament has grown each year it has been held because students recognize the impact it has on them — an impact that extends well beyond the act of playing video games together.
He said esports prepares students for different science, technology, engineering and mathematics careers by teaching critical social skills such as teamwork, leadership and communication.
On the technical side, many students who enjoy competitive gaming are interested in the hardware they use, he said. This encourages them to learn more about technology as they seek a competitive advantage over their peers.
Then, there is the thrill of competition and the sportsmanship that comes with it.
“Just like any traditional sport, they’re ready to leave it all on the arena floor; they are ready to give it their all,” he said. “There’s so much positivity because this group of students, they all have this shared identity, so the sportsmanship is also just tremendous.”
Jacob Thomas, an esports coach and language arts teacher from Minot High School, said showing students videos of last year’s tournament helped recruiting for his team. And on the topic of recruitment, he said many students were excited to speak to University recruiters present at the event.
Like Dschaak, he agreed that esports helps prepare students for STEM careers, as the students on his team build their own gaming rigs, thanks to local businesses who provide some grant funding.
It’s also a lot of fun, he said, to see them represent their school.
“To get them to be part of the group and help out the school has been really awesome,” he said.
After gathering on the social stairs (and filling the space in so doing), teams filed up to the Ballroom to be introduced before a crowd of coaches, parents and friends.
Then, the games began.
The teams made their way to different locations in the Ballroom, with each location hosting a different game. Teams also made use of the UND Varsity Esports facility, located in the lower level of Swanson Hall.
And while the tournament was about competition and teamwork, it was also about meeting new people.
Grand Forks Central student Caleb Machart said this tournament was his first and that it is great to make new friends.
“I’ve been playing video games my entire life, and I’d like to see more people who play them,” he said.
The 2025 Fenworks North Dakota Esports State Tournament concluded on Saturday, March 29. The following is a partial list of high schools that brought home championship status after the tournament. In the upcoming days, a complete list will be posted on the Fenworks website.
First-place winners, listed by event, high school and team name, include:
- Chess, New Town Eagles.
- Fortnite, Williston FN Coyotes Orange.
- Rocket League, Mandan Braves RL (varsity).
- League of Legends, West Fargo United League of Hippos.
- Mario Kart, Dunseith Drift Dynamos.
- Super Smash Brothers Ultimate, Minot Cloroxwipe and Minot Smash.
- VALORANT, Minot MHS Magi Valorant.
- Minecraft, West Fargo United WF United Varsity Minecraft.
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