Esports: Mario Kart Qualifiers Determined for In-Person Semifinals
Photo: CHSAA file photo
AURORA – The top-four seeds are still alive in the Colorado High School Activities Association’s Spring Esports State Championships, and all four will advance to play the semifinal round in person in at Localhost on Thursday, April 30.
Games will begin at noon with No. 1 LEGEND ROYAL (Legend) taking on No. 4 THUNDERHKZ (Ellicott), and No. 2 DCCHS MK8 Varsity (Discovery Canyon) meeting No. 3 Thunderstorm (ThunderRidge). The winners will advance to the championship game, which will be played at 4 p.m.
LEGEND ROYAL only lost one game in its run to Localhost, as it defeated No. 32 DMLK Short Panthers (MLK Jr. Early College), 2-0, and No. 16 Nighthawk Kartel (Northfield), 2-0, in the first two rounds, respectively, before taking down No. 9 STEM HR Mario Kart Gold Team (STEM Highlands Ranch), 2-1, in Round 3.
DCCHS MK8 Varsity had similar results, as it swept No. 31 NPHS Wildcats (North Park) and No. 18 Chatfield Mario Kart Varsity (Chatfield), 2-0, in each of the first two rounds. No. 10 HRHS Falcon Karts (Highlands Ranch) – last year’s state champions – attempted to make a run at a second-straight title, but saw it cut short as Discovery Canyon advanced with a 2-1 victory.
Thunderstorm hasn’t lost a game yet in the playoffs, as the squad raced to 2-0 wins over No. 30 Stallion Kart (Sierra), No. 14 EHS Holy Rollers (Denver East) and No. 11 Wray Eagles (Wray), respectively.
THUNDERHKZ opened the postseason with a 2-0 win over No. 29 Pueblo West Mario Kart Varsity (Pueblo West), before using a 2-1 win over Grandview HS Mario Kart Black (Grandview) to advance to the third round, where it knocked off No. 12 ERA Warriors Mario Kart Varsity (Eagle Ridge Academy), 2-0.
No. 1 LEGEND ROYAL (Legend)
Sebastian Reinartz, Taeo Gaskins, Aidan Northcutt, Avianna Boccio
No. 2 DDHS MK8 Varsity (Discovery Canyon)
Jason De Pina, Kaleb Kirby, Coleton Tallman, Nate Hahn
No. 3 Thunderstorm (ThunderRidge)
Gennady Brown, Kyler Marlow, Philip Schuch, Oliver Ricks
No. 4 THUNDERHKZ (Ellicott)
Alexander Bills, Josh Palmer, Greg McNutt, Katelynn Santoni
