Esports 10/11/2026 11:10:00 PM

Blinn Overwatch finishes third at Queen City Clash

Twenty-four teams competed in the tournament in Cincinnati

Esports 10/11/2026 11:10:00 PM

Blinn Overwatch finishes third at Queen City Clash

Twenty-four teams competed in the tournament in Cincinnati

The Blinn College esports Overwatch team finished third at the Queen City Clash, a 24-team LAN tournament hosted by the University of Cincinnati on Oct. 10-11 in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Donnivan Straight, Jose Soliz, Antony Luna, Dylan Wiley, Salvador Castaneda, Charles Tomlinson and Carter Lenahan competed for Blinn.

The eighth-ranked Buccaneers entered the tournament as the No. 3 overall seed and went undefeated in group play before advancing to the playoff bracket. Blinn swept the University of Michigan 3-0 in the quarterfinals before falling to No. 10 Western Kentucky University in the semifinals. The Bucs bounced back with a 3-1 victory over No. 18 Ohio State University in the third-place match.

Blinn opened the tournament with a 2-0 win over Heartland Community College, followed by 2-0 victories over Wright State University and tournament host Cincinnati to finish group play 3-0.

The Bucs rotated their lineup against Heartland to give several players valuable tournament experience. The team faced a tougher challenge against Cincinnati, with close maps requiring clutch plays and overtime to secure the sweep.

"Even though we went 3-0 in group play, we weren't completely satisfied with how we played," Blinn head coach and Overwatch manager Kyle Murto said. "We made too many mistakes and our communication wasn't as consistent as it needed to be."

Blinn responded with one of its strongest performances of the tournament in the quarterfinals against Michigan, which had upset Ohio State during group play. After reviewing its earlier matches and addressing communication issues, the Bucs swept the Wolverines 3-0.

The semifinal against Western Kentucky proved more difficult. Blinn competed closely on the opening map but struggled to capitalize on advantages as unforced errors and communication issues mounted. The Bucs ultimately fell 3-0.

"We didn't feel like we were outmatched mechanically," Murto said. "We made mistakes, gave away advantages and let our communication and confidence slip. At this level, those things can decide a match."

Blinn regrouped for the third-place match against Ohio State, making a lineup adjustment to help improve the team's communication and leadership. The Bucs dropped the opening map and trailed 2-0 on the second map before rallying to win the map and even the series at 1-1.

The team then made another lineup adjustment, bringing Jose Soliz back into the lineup, and won the remaining maps to secure the 3-1 victory.

"After the semifinal, morale was low, so we needed to reset and find a way to respond," Murto said. "The comeback on the second map was huge for us. It gave the team some confidence back, and we were able to finish the match strong."

The third-place finish provided valuable experience for a roster playing together at an in-person LAN event for the first time for most of its members. The tournament also gave the Bucs an opportunity to compete against nationally ranked programs and identify areas for improvement.

"For most of our roster, this was their first LAN and their first time competing in person," Murto said. "Finishing third is a strong result, but we also learned a lot about the mistakes we need to clean up and how important communication is when the pressure is on."

Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 53 national championships since 1987.

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Players Mentioned

Charles Tomlinson: Sophomore; Overwatch

Dylan Wiley: Freshman; Overwatch

Donnivan Straight: Sophomore; Overwatch

Jose Soliz: Freshman; Overwatch

Carter Lenahan: Freshman; Overwatch

Salvador Castaneda: Freshman; Overwatch

Antony Luna: Freshman; Overwatch

Players Mentioned

Charles Tomlinson
: Sophomore; Overwatch

Dylan Wiley
: Freshman; Overwatch

Donnivan Straight
: Sophomore; Overwatch

Jose Soliz
: Freshman; Overwatch

Carter Lenahan
: Freshman; Overwatch

Salvador Castaneda
: Freshman; Overwatch

Antony Luna
: Freshman; Overwatch