Esports are becoming very popular across the country. Many colleges and high schools are adding teams.
Aquinas College just completed it's first season with a team and recently found out that freshman Jon Schneck was named an All-American.
"It was a little bit of a surprise that I would be an All-American because I don't think of myself that highly," Schneck said. "But it is great that I got recognized."
Esports are still very new so expectations nationally are understandably uncertain. In fact this was the first year that All-American honors we even given.
"I didn't think I was worthy of being an All-American," Schneck said. "I didn't think I was that great. I might have been good in the program but I didn't think I was great anywhere else."
Jon may have been caught off guard by the recognition but head coach Adam Antor says it is well deserved because of his hard work and knowledge.
"He is kind if like the master knowledge base for the game," Antor said of Schneck. "He knows more about the game than most other competitors in our program and across the country so he brings the brains and the work ethic."
Jon competes in League of Legends. It's a game he said he's been playing since before he got to Aquinas.
Expectations were modest for a first year program but Jon said much was accomplished in the inaugural season.
"Everything is new, everybody is trying to work to make everything better and that is what I got out of it and a little bit more," Schneck said. "I feel like everybody was really great friends in the end and everybody wanted to work together to make everything better."
That sets the stage for year two. Schneck hopes to take things to a new level next season.
"I am looking forward to probably just winning any league I am going into to," Schneck said. "Building a better team and making sure that we can compete at the highest level against all the other teams."
Jon said he hasn't made a final decision yet but expects to continue with League of Legends in his sophomore season.
