Abraham Leija
Miguel Carrera, Abraham Leija, Isaac Mendoza, and William Martinez were the nominees for Esports MVP.
The UHD Gators advanced to the National Esports Collegiate Conference 2025 Nationals Championship for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate online crew battles.
Following an upset against a higher seeded team and subsequently being eliminated from the Nationals stage, the UHD Gators were awarded with Best Team Performance in eSPORTS at the annual UHD One Main Event on April 17.
Disheartened by their loss in the playoffs yet optimistic about the future, the UHD Gators were blindsided by the news of their qualification to compete in the NECC Nationals.
According to the NECC, teams qualify for Nationals based on the combined points obtained in fall 2024 and spring 2025. While the UHD Gators did not advance in the playoffs, their combined points from the regular seasons were high enough to advance them to Nationals.
This is the first time the UHD Gators have competed against universities outside of the South stage and the second time in six years they have made Nationals.
For Round 1, the UHD Gators were matched against SNHU Blue, Southern New Hampshire University. Seeded 20th in the bracket, SNHU Blue were expected to win against the UHD Gators who were seeded 45th.
However, following a close best of one match, the UHD Gators upset SNHU Blue with two stocks left, 2–0. Stimulated by their unlikely win, the UHD Gators immediately went into Round 2 against the 13th seed, Shenandoah University located in Virginia.
As opposed to the previous round, this match was a traditional best of three. The UHD Gators gave it their all but would go on to lose both games, 0–5 and 0–6. During their live broadcast, Shenandoah University commentators took note of the UHD Gators’ upset against SNHU Blue and were surprised by their performance considering their low seeding and reliance on low-tier characters.
Despite their elimination from Nationals, the UHD Gators and management were pleased with their performance and felt redeemed from their unsatisfactory display in the playoffs.
This perception would be solidified when the UHD Gators were awarded with Best Team Performance in eSPORTS at the One Main Event
student awards.
At the UHD Sports & Fitness portion of the awards, player Chris Hobley won the Rising Star award, with fellow player Adam also being nominated.
The team’s manager, Miguel Carrera, was awarded MVP in eSPORTS for his achievements in iRacing. UHD Gators Team Captain and player Abraham Leija was also nominated.
The UHD Gators’ display in Nationals and distinctions culminated into a solid comeback to end the semester.