2024 NMAA Esports State Championships

 For three amazing days in April, students and coaches from around New Mexico came to Albuquerque to compete for state championship titles. Along the way, some were top winners, others met old friends and made new ones, and everyone had a blast. This year, 90 high schools with 500 teams and 2,000 student players participated in the annual event that hosted over 1,000 attendees in three days. The first esports finals were held virtually at school sites, the second year’s finals were canceled due to Covid, the third year’s finals were also held at school sites, and this marks the 3rd year the finals were held at Albuquerque’s Berna Facio Professional Development Center.

APS took two overall state championship titles - in 2A Early College Academy won the top prize for the fourth year in a row, and 5A La Cueva High School won the top prize. In 4A, Del Norte High School was runner up this year.

In individual games, APS had 8 wins: La Cueva – Hearthstone; Early College Academy and La Cueva – Rocket League; Del Norte – NBA2K24; Albuquerque High School – Madden NFL24; Highland and La Cueva – Splatoon 3; Manzano High School – Super Smash Bros.

  . 

APS Esports Named as “Best in Class,” Receives $10,000.00 Award for Program Success

The APS Ed Foundation named three of their funded programs as “Best in Class” and APS Esports was the proud recipient of recognition and 2nd prize award of $10,000.00 to fund further growth for esports. The Gold Bar Gala was held at Sandia Resort on Friday, April 19, 2024, and APS Esports accepted their award and celebrated the six-year successful expansion of esports in schools.
Dr. Richard Bowman, Chief Information and Strategy Officer, and Laurie Lehman, Esports District Manager, brought esports to APS in 2018 with less than 100 students in a handful of high schools. Today, esports is in elementary, middle, and high schools and numbers over 1,000 students who now have the
opportunity of participation with purpose as esports has become a growing and thriving tool for student engagement and social emotional learning, fostering STEM and Tech skills that are leading them to college and career readiness. The addition of an esports curriculum in 2023 showed the beautiful integration of competitive esports and education and now students are able to blend academics, the development of 21st century skills, and digital citizenship while following their passion for gaming. Thanks to the APS Education Foundation for your funding and support of our program!