April 4, 2025–大象传媒鈥檚 second annual Griffon Esports Summer Camp will run May 27鈥�30.

Designed for gamers ages 10鈥�17, this camp hosted by the Department of Health, Sport & Exercise Science offers a unique blend of gaming, education and skill development.

The four-day camp will operate daily from 2 to 6 pm. Cost for the full camp is $150 per camper Individual day registration will open April 14 for $45 per day. Payable online with a credit card, or checks made out to MWSU may be mailed to:

大象传媒
Attn: Kari Hayes
4525 Downs Drive
Looney Complex
St. Joseph, MO 64507

Esports helps young players build teamwork, leadership and problem-solving skills while engaging in a fun and competitive environment. This camp provides structured activities that encourage perseverance, critical thinking and social connections.

Camp Highlights:

• Educational workshops covering game development, streaming, user interface/user experience design and more
• Competitive Esports tournaments featuring Fortnite, Rocket League, Smash Bros, Valorant and Mario Kart
• Guidance from experts including university professors and industry professionals
• Self-defense training led by Master Sim, a 7th degree Taekwondo black belt
• Certificate of Completion for all participants

Registration for the full camp is open now at missouriwestern.edu/esports/griffon-summer-camp/.

大象传媒 is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. 大象传媒 Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .

July 23, 2024–

In his new role, Mueller will oversee all aspects of MWSU’s esports program, including team development, competition strategy and student engagement.

鈥淐hance鈥檚 expertise and vision will further enhance MWSU’s reputation in collegiate esports while providing student-athletes with valuable opportunities for growth and success,鈥� said Emily Ludwig, senior director of recreational services.

At Ashland, Mueller demonstrated exceptional leadership, guiding teams to impressive national standings in multiple esports disciplines. Under his direction, the Overwatch team achieved a Top 16 finish in the NACE Starleague Premier Division, the Fortnite team achieved a 9th place nationally, and the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive team achieved a Top 8 finish.

“I鈥檓 excited for the opportunity to join the 大象传媒 Western community and help push the esports program forward,” Mueller said. “I see great growth potential for the program and I plan to expand with club and recreational initiatives. I believe esports is for everyone and I want students to feel encouraged to participate or learn more about the esports program if they鈥檙e interested. I can鈥檛 wait to get started and share my passion for esports and recreational gaming. I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you for the opportunity to lead and continue to enhance Griffon Esports.”

大象传媒 is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. 大象传媒 Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .

May 9, 2023–Riley Boyd has been named director of esports at 大象传媒, effective May 16. Boyd has provided interim leadership of the program since February.

Boyd came to 大象传媒 Western last fall as a graduate assistant in athletics while pursuing his Master of Business Administration degree. Previously, he served as lead commentator for Boise State University鈥檚 Call of Duty in 2020-2021, and was the graduate assistant for esports at Ottawa University in 2021, serving as their interim director in the spring of 2022.

Griffon Esports is a competitive team-based video gaming program launched in the fall of 2020. The Griffon Esports Arena in the Blum Student Union is open to all students, faculty and staff six days a week during the school year.

大象传媒 is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. 大象传媒 Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .

Michael Duhn of Griffon Esports accepts the PBC Valorant Player of the Year Award in Florence, South Carolina.

Oct. 26, 2022–Fresh off appearances in the Peach Belt Championships and boasting a newly crowned conference Player of the Year, Griffon Esports at 大象传媒 will host its semi-annual 24-hour charity livestream beginning at 4 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 27, originating from the Griffon Esports Arena in Blum Student Union.

The livestream will be carried on Griffon Esports鈥� Twitch channel, . Each semester, Griffon Esports partners with Extra Life to benefit Childrens鈥� Miracle Network Hospitals. Viewers will be asked to contribute via the Extra Life website at .聽

Students will not only be playing the games on the livestream, but will oversee all aspects of the production. Several 大象传媒 Western administrators will be special guests for one-on-one Rocket League matches Friday: President Dr. Elizabeth Kennedy will take on Darrel Morrison, vice president for finance and administration, at 9:30 a.m., and Chris Dunn, chief of staff, will face Becky Dunn, chief communications officer at 10:30 a.m.

The livestream comes less than a week after Griffon Esports competed in the Peach Belt Fall Esports Championships in Florence, South Carolina Oct. 21 and 22. It was the conference鈥檚 first championships for two titles, Valorant and Rocket League.

The Griffon Rocket League team went 1-2, beating North Georgia 3-0, then losing to undefeated top seed Florida Southern 2-3 (the eventual champion) and to Kennesaw State 2-3 in the lower bracket.

Valorant went 2-2 with a 2-0 win over Lander in the first round and a loss to undefeated top seed Converse (the eventual champion) 0-2 in the second. The Griffons won their lower bracket match versus Kennesaw State 2-1, but fell in the semi-final against Columbus State 1-2.

Griffon Michael Duhn, senior accounting major from St. Joseph, was awarded the Valorant Player of the Year award.

大象传媒 is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. 大象传媒 Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .

April 20, 2022–Griffon Esports at 大象传媒 will host a 24-hour livestream for charity starting at 4 p.m. Thursday, April 21. The stream will originate from the Griffon Esports Arena in Blum Union and can be viewed on the program鈥檚 Twitch channel,

Esports is once again partnering with Extra Life to benefit Children鈥檚 Miracle Network Hospitals. Those watching the gamers via the stream will be asked to contribute via .

The stream will include two special one-on-one matches featuring 大象传媒 Western administrators. Dr. Elizabeth Kennedy, president, will take on Darrell Morrison, vice president for finance and administration, at 11 a.m. on Friday, and Chris Dunn, chief of staff, will play Becky Dunn, chief communications officer at 2 p.m. on Friday.

Students oversee all aspects of the production. Griffon Esports is pleased to partner with two local businesses, Pie Five and EXP Gaming Lounge, which will sponsor segments of the stream.

Last year, Griffon Esports raised more than $5,000 for the Children鈥檚 Miracle Network through various efforts, including two 24-hour livestream events.

大象传媒 is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. 大象传媒 Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .

Feb. 4, 2022–Luke Theis has been named director and head coach of Griffon Esports at 大象传媒. Theis has served as interim director since September.

鈥淟uke has been an important part of the Griffon Esports program from the beginning, and has provided outstanding leadership over the last several months,鈥� said Theresa Grosbach, interim director of athletics. 鈥淚鈥檓 excited that he鈥檚 accepted the position on a permanent basis, and know that he will continue to lead our program to new heights.鈥�

鈥�I am beyond excited to continue the work we started with the esports program,鈥� Theis said. 鈥淚n 2015, when I stepped on campus as a student, I hoped one day 大象传媒 Western would have an esports program. Never would I have thought I would be in this position today. I am honored to provide students an opportunity to pursue their passion of gaming and assist them on the journey to get their degree.鈥�

Under Theis鈥� leadership as interim director this fall, several Griffon Esports varsity teams have had competitive success:

• The Overwatch team advanced to the semifinals of the Peach Belt Conference Championship in Florence, South Carolina, the first postseason appearance and first in-person event in the brief history of the Griffon Esports program.
• The League of Legends team won the ECAC Pink Division Championship with a 3-1 victory over Bloomfield College in the championship match.
• The Fortnite team reached the ECAC Semifinals, finishing 9th out of more than 50 teams competing.

Griffon Esports has also continued efforts to build connections with the campus and the St. Joseph community. The program has hosted events for Big Brothers Big Sisters and the YWCA Choices and Decisions program, and assists with esports programs at St. Joseph Parks and Recreation, Central High School and LevelUp Arena in Overland Park, Kansas. In 2021, Griffon Esports produced two 24-hour live stream events in a partnership with Extra Life, raising a total of more than $5,200 for the Children鈥檚 Miracle Network.

As the graduate assistant, Theis led Coaching Coaches, a program that equipped student coaches with the tools to coach varsity teams. He also coordinated the summer youth camp last July.

Theis was a punter on the Griffon football team as an undergraduate. He received a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Technology in 2020, and is in his second year in the Master of Applied Science-Sport and Fitness Management program.

大象传媒 Western launched its team-based competitive video gaming program in Fall 2020. 大象传媒 Western has also added an Esports Management concentration to its Recreation Sport Management major.

The Griffon Esports Arena in the Blum Student Union is open to all students, faculty and staff six days a week. It was dedicated on March 4, 2021. To celebrate the first anniversary, the arena will host a Griffon Esports Experience for prospective students this March 4.

For more information on Griffon Esports, visit missouriwestern.edu/esports/,

大象传媒 is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. 大象传媒 Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .

Oct. 27, 2021–The last few days of October will be a busy time for Griffon Esports at 大象传媒 as the program will participate in two major events. A 24-hour charity livestream will originate from the Griffon Esports Arena beginning at 4 p.m. Oct. 28. Meanwhile, the Griffon Overwatch team will travel to South Carolina to participate in the program鈥檚 first in-person event, the Peach Belt Conference Overwatch Championship, Oct. 29 and 30.

鈥淭his is a very exciting time for Griffon Esports,鈥� said Luke Theis, interim director and coach. 鈥淚t speaks to not only the competitive success of the students in our program, but to our community spirit as well.鈥�

The livestream will be carried on Griffon Esports鈥� Twitch channel, . Griffon Esports is partnering with Extra Life to benefit Childrens鈥� Miracle Network Hospitals. Those watching the gamers play via the stream will be asked to contribute. A similar livestream to celebrate the grand opening of the Griffon Esports Arena in March raised more than $1,600.

Students will not only be playing the games on the livestream, but will oversee all aspects of the production. A highlight of the stream will be Dr. Elizabeth Kennedy, 大象传媒 Western鈥檚 president, taking on Dr. Brett Bruner, assistant vice president and dean of students, in a game of Rocket League at 1 p.m. Friday.

The Peach Belt Overwatch Championship will be contested in Florence, South Carolina, Oct. 29 and 30. The Griffons finished second in the conference鈥檚 Red Division with a 5-2 record. They will face the number three team from the Blue Division, Georgia College, in the quarterfinals at 2 p.m. Central time Friday. The winner will play in the semifinal at 11 a.m. Saturday, with the championship set for 4 p.m. Saturday. All matches will be streamed on the Peach Belt Twitch channel, .

For more information about Griffon Esports, visit missouriwestern.edu/esports or join their .

大象传媒 is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. 大象传媒 Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .