The Esports program at Shawnee State University will officially add at least seven student-athletes for the 2024-25 season as three Rocket League specialists, two Smash Bros. players and two additional talents from the local realm will be coming on to assist the program.

The seven recruits, which hail from five different states between the Midwest and Southeast, comprise much of the recruiting class that will be hitting campus for the upcoming year.

Tanis Caltrider (Spartanburg, S.C./Converse University)

A Rocket League talent hailing from the Palmetto State, South Carolina native Tanis Caltrider will be in his first season at Shawnee State this coming fall.

Caltrider (Gamertag: Spooki) moved up to the varsity Rocket League unit at Converse after spending two seasons as a junior varsity player on the unit, according to the school's website.

Sean Downard (Auburndale, Fla./Indian River State College)

Another Rocket League gamer from the Southeastern United States, Sunshine State native Sean Downard brings a highly competitive skillset to a team that he will be looking to make an instant impact for during the 2024-25 season on forward.

According to his liquipedia page, the Auburndale, Fla. native (Gamertag: Tacostash84) has won four events just within the last 365 days that awarded cash prizes, including a $3,000-to-win Immortals Progressive Bundle Bash 2023: Event 2 as well as the $1,500-to-win Collegiate Rocket League Fall Open -- Week 2 event.

Downard was also an integral part of an Indian River State team that finished third in the Collegiate Rocket League Fall 2022 National Championship, with the unit winning $4,000 as part of its third-place finish. Only Columbia College and Northwood University-Blue bettered IRS.

Blade Taylor (Las Vegas, Nev./Indian River State College)

Another elite Rocket League talent that has accumulated over $22,000 in cash winnings according to liquipedia, Las Vegas, Nev.'s Blade Taylor -- a teammate of Downard's at Indian River State College in Fort Pierce, Fla., will join Downard in transferring to Shawnee State.

Taylor (Gamertag: SlaYeR) is among the best collegiate Esports talents in the business -- having placed high enough to win monetary funds in 29 events over the last three-and-a-half years. Taylor was a top-25 finisher at the Rocket League Championship Series 2021-22 World Championships and has won at least $1,200 or more in 24 out of the 29 recorded events that liquipedia has the talented Southwest United States gamer competing in.

"I'm excited to be a part of this incredible university and program," Taylor said. "I can't wait to compete and win championships for Shawnee State University."

Samuel Patterson (Toledo, Ohio/Toledo Christian) and Hendrix Myers (Chillicothe, Ohio/Chillicothe)

Both incoming freshmen from the Buckeye State, Samuel Patterson and Hendrix Myers are expected to deepen the arsenal of the Smash Bros unit in the coming years. Both individuals are also talented in additional ways, as well -- as Patterson played soccer and ran at Toledo Christian while Myers performed as Javert in Chillicothe High School's reincarnation of Les Miserables in a school play, among additional activities.

Chris Ringrose (Ashland, Ky./Boyd County High School) and Lillian James (Wheelersburg, Ohio/Green HS)

Natives of the local area, Boyd County High School alum Chris Ringrose and recent Green High School graduate Lillian James will be coming on to assist the Esports program in technical facets as student assistants. Ringrose, a game and simulation development major, is in good academic standing and has earned over 115 hours of academic credit while James, who will be a true freshman this fall like Patterson and Myers, has an extensive technological know-how that is beyond her years already.

Additional

For more information on the SSU Esports program, follow SSU Esports on X @SSUeSports, on Instagram at @ssuesports, or via Twitch at SSUesports.

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