CLEVELAND – The Cleveland State University Super Smash Bros. Ultimate team kicked off the new year with a major milestone, traveling to the highly competitive Afterburner tournament this past January.

Recognized as a major competition, Afterburner hosted over 400 players ranging from the high school and collegiate levels all the way up to professional competitors.

In the collegiate crews event—a best-of-three, double-elimination bracket—the Vikings fought down to the wire. In matches defined by razor-thin margins, Cleveland State fell to Purdue in Game 3 with both teams down to their final stock. The team faced a similarly heartbreaking scenario in the consolation bracket, losing to the University of Akron in Game 3, again on the very last stock. Despite the tough breaks, the squad finished in 4th place overall and proudly took home a trophy.

The singles bracket is where CSU truly made history. Both Victor "Dreamless" Marcelo and Scottie "Dr. Kirb" Wade successfully advanced out of their respective groups. Marcelo finished with a highly respectable 97th place.

Meanwhile, Wade delivered the best run of his career. "Dr. Kirb" became the first player in CSU history to qualify for the Top 32 at a major tournament. He ultimately finished in 17th place, officially placing higher than every other collegiate player in attendance at the event.

Congratulations to Scottie and the entire Smash team on a historic weekend!