Mahtomedi High School Class of 2026 students, Taelin Richmond and Kai Schwartz, are co-captains of the Mahtomedi Varsity Esports Team, and recently led their team to three championships at the Minnesota Varsity League (MNVL) State Finals. This victory was especially meaningful after second and third-place finishes the year before. As Taelin put it, “the hard work paid off.”
As a student-led team, the Mahtomedi Esports players are responsible for preparing themselves for the state tournament. They organize into sub-teams for games including Minecraft, Mario Kart, Chess, and Super Smash Bros. Without a formal coach directing them when to practice, student initiative has been key to their success.
Kai and Taelin played an integral role in helping Mahtomedi qualify for competition this year. With no staff advisor or captains after the previous leaders graduated, Kai and Taelin saw that if their team wanted another shot at State, they would need to step up. They recruited Mahtomedi High School math teacher Mike Isola to be their advisor and assisted with student management tasks. They went above and beyond to ensure the team’s success and became leaders in the process.
Taelin’s leadership of Mahtomedi’s team was recognized with a special award at the State Finals, the William Merida Inclusivity Award. The Award is granted to students who promote inclusivity and model leadership. Taelin was selected from over 1,000 students for the honor. Reflecting on their team’s wins at the State Finals in early March, Taelin shared: “I’ve really enjoyed watching our growth the last couple of years…everyone knows their role on the team, and everyone gives everything they can.”
They both agreed that esports has fostered a strong community for them. Kai shared, "It's a great way to meet people; it's a great bonding experience." Mahtomedi Community Education is proud to support the team and help ensure opportunities like these exist for our students to explore and excel in their unique interests.