Two members of the WVU Esports Rocket League team earned national recognition from the National Association of Collegiate Esports.
During the NACE National Convention in Winter Park, Florida, July 17-19, WVU Rocket League Captain Jarret “Angel” Birch was named Rocket League Player of the Year while assistant coach Nico “Evil” Zimmowitch earned Coach of the Year honors.
The honors for the two come after the Mountaineers won back-to-back championships at the NACE Starleague Varsity Premier Grand Finals in both Fall 2023 and Spring 2024. During the two-semester run, WVU finished with a combined 23-0 record and outscored opponents 228-84 in the process.
“Winning an award like Player of the Year feels surreal,” Birch said. “It’s a testament to the work I’ve put in over the last few years on and off the field, and it wouldn’t have been possible without my teammates and the WVU staff around me.
“Hopefully we can keep this winning streak alive and we can create a WVU dynasty in NACE.”
Birch scored 75 goals and had 65 assists and 106 saves to lead WVU.
Zimmowitch joined WVU Esports as an assistant coach working with the Rocket League team in April 2023. West Virginia became just the second school in NACE history to make it to three consecutive NACE Starleague Varsity Premier Grand Finals.
“With the collegiate scene still in its infancy, it’s a big honor to receive this award as we all continue to learn what coaching in esports looks like,” Zimmowitch said. “I also want to thank my parents for their endless support in my pursuit of working in esports while balancing my academics over the years.”
Freshman Matt “Matter” Ehresman also earned second team all-NACE honors for his performance in his first year with the Mountaineers.
Additionally, DJ “JKronic” Joyce, a senior from WVU Valorant, earned second team all-NACE.
Cooper Martin, a student worker in the WVU Esports program working as a production assistant, was a finalist for the NACE Student Leadership Award for the work he did behind the scenes with the team this season.
WVU also had six players earn All-NACE Academic honors. Birch, Ehresman, and junior Ryan “Tool” Futral all represented the Rocket League team, while WVU Valorant’s Drew “Tayz” Davidson and Theo “in0X” Bjornsson, and Youssef “SyaroW” Gourari from the Call of Duty team were also recognized for their work in the classroom.
“This just shows that these players have a great mindset when it comes to how they’re handling collegiate esports,” Josh Steger, WVU Esports director and varsity head coach said. “They’re helping to break stigmas about competitive gamers with faculty members and other people. The fact that they can do this in the classroom while also being able to have excellent seasons competitively is the icing on the cake.”