Maplewood resident wins national collegiate championship playing Mario Kart

MAPLEWOOD, NJ — A Maplewood resident, who is a student at Union College of Union County, has won a national championship playing Mario Kart.

Ian Friedman is part of the Union team that won the National Junior Athletic Association Esports Championship for Mario Kart and Overwatch 2, according to a press release from the college, which said that this is the first National Championship in the program’s history.

Both Union’s Overwatch 2 team and Friedman, competing in Mario Kart, had perfect seasons straight through to the finals. Friedman won the Mario Kart finals against a SUNY Corning Community College player 4-2.
The Overwatch 2 team was victorious against the number one seed Florida Gateway College 3-0. The Overwatch 2 team members include: Oscar Alvarez, of Elizabeth; Alexander Garcia, of Rahway; Jake Castro, of Elizabeth; Kevin Loureiro, of Linden; Lucas Chudoba, of Elizabeth; and Jose Paredes, of Roselle.

Castro was also runner up for NBA2k against Heartland Community College 1-3. The team is led by head coach Duane Reid, who is also Union’s director of student success initiatives, and Assistant Coach Samuel Sanchez.
The students played on April 23 in the Victor M. Richel Student Commons, which is located on the College’s Cranford Campus.

The College launched its Esports program in the fall of 2018. At the time, Union was the first two-year college in New Jersey and only one of 63 nationwide to offer Esports.

“We are very proud of this hardworking team of student-athletes for what they’ve achieved this season. It’s wonderful that these skilled gamers now have a place within Union’s array of college athletics – a place where they feel they belong. The technical skill and teamwork required for these games is impressive, and we welcome the gamers in our community to see what Union has to offer: a great education and an opportunity to participate in intercollegiate athletics via Esports,” stated Union President Dr. Margaret M. McMenamin.

Union College of Union County is a public, community college.