An Auburn High School Senior is celebrating after finishing second in a competition at the Empire State Scholastic Esports Federation Fall championships held at Syracuse University.
The Auburn Enlarged City School District has announced that Evan Payne finished second in the state for Super Smash Bros. Solos, a platform fighting game by Nintendo, where players work to knock their opponents out of a virtual arena.
Payne said he’s pleased with his success.
“I think it gives our school a good reputation,” he said, “which helps school spirit because others would know the (esports team’s) accomplishments. That makes me happy because I like to make a positive impact wherever I can. Getting second in the state makes me proud of how far I’ve come.”
The district added that this was the first time Payne was able to compete against other athletes from schools around the state, something he said increased the challenge.
“I think my performance at SU was great,” Payne said. “It was my first time in my entire esports journey that I played at such a competitive setting, which made me really nervous, especially when I made it to finals where I had to play in front of a crowd while being broadcast. I think this impacted my performance a little, but most of it was me not playing very well. I was very surprised I made it past the semifinals, considering the skill of my opponent.”
Esports coach Brian Bealer praised Payne for his dedication and skill.
“Evan has been a part of the esports program at Auburn High School since we started it four years ago,” Bealer said. “He has consistently been one of the best players and has worked very hard to compete at such a high level.”
He added that Payne is not just a successful esports athlete, but also a successful student.
“Evan has been a very hard-working student since I first met him as a freshman,” Bealer said. “He takes some of the most challenging classes at AHS (including college-level classes). He tries his best and is always looking to improve not only academically, but also for the esports games that he participates in.”
Payne plans to attend the Rochester Institute of Technology next Fall, where he said his esports experience will help him succeed.
“In Smash Brothers, I have learned to stay calm whenever I’m winning or losing, so I can either close out the game or make a comeback,” he said. “I hope I can further such skills when I hopefully participate in esports at RIT while pursuing a degree in biomedical engineering.”
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