HICKORY, N.C. — The Catawba Valley Community College Esports program was announced as a finalist for two Scholastic Esports Awards (SEA).
The Red Hawk Esports team is a finalist for SEA Two-Year Program of the Year while head coach Cody Dalton was selected as a finalist for SEA Two-Year Director of the Year.
"We are incredibly humbled and honored to be recognized as a finalist for two honors from the Scholastic Esports Awards," Dalton said. "These nominations could not be possible without the hard work of past and present Red Hawk Esports student athletes and the support of CVCC President Dr. Garrett Hinshaw, our administration and Athletic Director Nick Schroeder."
Founded in 2019 as the first junior college esports program in North Carolina, the Catawba Valley Community College Esports program boasts five National Junior College Athletic Association Esports (NJCAAE) championships, including back-to-back national titles in Call of Duty during the 2023-24 school year, and a 2023 National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE) Open Plus title in VALORANT.
So far in its program's history, more than 130 Red Hawk Esports student athletes have qualified for the postseason in three different leagues.
Beyond gaming competition, a total of 44 Red Hawk Esports student athletes have earned All-Academic honors by obtaining a 3.5 GPA or higher. Red Hawk Esports student athletes and coaches also volunteer their time both during the holiday season ringing bells and collecting donations for the Salvation Army at the Walmart across from CVCC's main campus in Hickory and also visiting local esports programs to talk to their students.
The Red Hawks were also the first junior college to host a live in-person LAN tournament and 24-hour Twitch stream.
From humble beginnings to national recognition, CVCC Esports provides a platform for student growth, sending multiple student athletes on to compete at four-year institutions and equipping others with life skills for success beyond gaming.
Dalton has been the head esports coach at Catawba Valley Community College since July 2019, building a program that started with two students and a single Nintendo Switch in a classroom in the school's Workforce Solutions Complex to currently more than 40 students in a state-of-the-art facility in CVCC's Student Center on main campus.
Along the way, Dalton has developed sponsorships with local organizations Corporate Armor, Mr. Game & Lounge and Red Fox Gaming along with corporate partners Red Bull and Bye Blue Light to help support its student athletes.
"Esports are an incredible pathway that I hope people will see the value in," Dalton said. "It teaches students important qualities that they will need to carry with them as they enter adulthood, including communication, teamwork, perseverance and discipline. With our CVCC Esports program, it has already changed so many lives, and I believe it will continue to change even more in the years to come."
Catawba Valley Community College is nominated alongside St. Clair College (Canada) and Paradise Valley Community College (Ariz.) for the SEA's Two-Year Program of the Year honor.
Nominees for the SEA Two-Year Director of the Year award alongside Dalton are Josh Moss, of Paradise Valley Community College (Ariz.), and Shaun Byrne, of St. Clair College (Canada).
The Scholastic Esports Awards will be presented on Jan. 11-12, 2025 at the Ohio Union on the campus of The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio.
You can vote for the Red Hawk Esports program at https://bit.ly/searedhawks. Daily voting ends on Dec. 15. Winners will be announced the week of Dec. 16-20.