Briar Cliff Esports competed in the Midwest Esports Finals at the Sheraton Lisle in Napperville, Illinois this past weekend. The Chargers competed in League of Legends and Valorant and both teams entered their tournaments as the fifth seed.
 
The League of Legends team began the day with a 2-0 sweep of the University of Pikeville, the No. 4 seed, advancing to the winner's bracket. The Chargers then faced St. Cloud State University, the eventual tournament champion, in the next round. After a competitive start in Game 1, Briar Cliff struggled in key team fights and dropped the opener. In Game 2, the Chargers experimented with off-meta picks, but the strategy fell short, sending them to the lower bracket.
 
Briar Cliff responded with a decisive 2-0 victory over Purdue Northwest in its next match, securing a spot in the fourth-place contest against Missouri Baptist University. In the final series, the Chargers opened with a dominant Game 1 performance, posting a 30-10 kill advantage and building a significant gold lead throughout. Missouri Baptist answered in Game 2, capitalizing on mid- and late-game fights to even the series. In the deciding Game 3, Briar Cliff was unable to regain momentum, falling to the eventual tournament runner-up to finish 2-2 on the day.
 
The Valorant team opened competition against Michigan State University, dropping the match despite taking Map 1 on Lotus. The Chargers narrowly lost Maps 2 and 3, Haven and Breeze, to fall into the lower bracket.
 
In an elimination match against DePaul University, the No. 2 seed, Briar Cliff rebounded with a 2-1 victory. The Chargers claimed Map 1 on Lotus, dropped Map 2 on Fracture, and secured the series with a win on Breeze, eliminating DePaul from the tournament.
 
Briar Cliff's run ended against Missouri Baptist, which defeated the Chargers 13-10 on Lotus and 13-5 on Breeze. The loss marked Briar Cliff's third match of the day in Valorant, closing out a 1-2 record and a fourth-place finish.
 
Overall, both Briar Cliff squads finished fourth in their brackets, with League of Legends going 2-2 and Valorant posting a 1-2 record.
 
 
The Chargers will return to action on April 25, as they host the GPAC Invitational on the campus of Briar Cliff University. The Charger overwatch team will compete on April 25 for the NACE Grand Finals in Orlando, Florida.