After making it past the qualifiers, Triton Esports standouts Barron “Trix” Tranate and Daryl “Technition” Dianzon were ready and alert at 3 a.m. the morning of the competition to take on some of the best student-athletes in the nation. Dianzon walked away with third place, and Tranate took fourth place — placing them in the top 3% of collegiate Super Smash Bros. Ultimate athletes across the nation.

“Making it this far feels amazing. This was a great experience overall, and I would love to play again at the next tournament — except this time, I'll be shooting for the stars,” Tranate said.  

The victory comes on the heels of the Triton Esports program's similar success in December, where four athletes — including Dianzon and Tranate — finished within the top 25 in the nation. Dianzon finished 17th in that tournament, and while third was a significant improvement, the young, full-time student had his sights set on bigger accomplishments.

“I'm definitely happy about the result, but I feel that I could've performed better and won the whole tournament. I always want to strive to do better, not just for myself, but also to represent Guam and UOG better,” Dianzon said.

SSBU gold team advances to 16th in the nation  

The Triton Esports Super Smash Bros. gold team also upgraded its rank last month. The Tritons moved up to 16th in the nation by securing two wins in the NACE Starleague playoffs on March 25.  

The Tritons beat San Jose University (Calif.) 2-0, with Maven “Strategem” Dulana shining as the MVP of the match with a five-stock record. Following two losses, the Tritons bounced back and snagged another win against the University of Houston with a final score of 3-0. Dianzon finished the match with a record four stocks against UH, claiming a victory in the playoffs for his team.  

Although they were eliminated from playoffs after losing to The University of Texas at Austin 1-0, the SSBU gold team said they walked away with a new perspective on competition and respect for their opponents.   

“As a new player, I found my experience in the NACE competition interesting, challenging, and fun […]. I experienced a level of play that I haven’t faced before,” said student-athlete Kameel “Bugs” Hutcherson. “Throughout the whole competition, I had a great time preparing for matches, playing, supporting my teammates, and watching all of our hard work pay off in the end.” 

With more than 100 universities competing in the league, the SSBU gold team upgraded its rank from 32nd to 16th in the nation.  

“It was a privilege for me to see our athletes compete and place that high. While I'm not 100% satisfied with how we placed this time, we'll make sure to do better in the future,” said Triton Esports SSBU Assistant Coach Michael Park.

Content, but not satisfied, the team said they’re already looking for better strategies and practicing honing their skills for a better shot at championships next year. 

For updates and more information about Triton Esports, visit the program’s website or follow Triton Esports on Instagram, Twitch, and Discord.