Shenandoah Esports Wins 3 NACE Awards

Shenandoah University Esports brought home some hardware from the 2024 National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE) Convention, which took place July 17-19 in Winter Park, Florida.

SU Esports Director Alyssa Duran won Emerging Director of the Year, Coordinator of Esports Production Ian Burnett ’24 won Broadcast Producer of the Year, and rising sophomore Molly Denz ’27 won Broadcast Talent of the Year during 2023-24 NACE Awards Ceremony.

Shenandoah was one of 16 schools to win one of the organization’s 38 awards.

Duran was named the NACE Emerging Director of the Year just three months after being named Shenandoah Esports’ second program director in April. Prior to that, Duran had served as the interim director since January 2024. The Emerging Director of the Year award is given to an individual with fewer than two years of experience as a full-time collegiate esports director who displays “outstanding abilities in the development of their program, whether it be competitively, academically or within their community,” according to the award criteria.

“I am grateful to be recognized for this award as I begin my role as an esports director in Shenandoah’s esports program,” Duran said. “I have had the honor of fulfilling many roles within the collegiate esports industry since 2018, and am looking forward to continuing to grow with SU in this journey. I am lucky to be surrounded by supportive administration, staff, faculty and students who motivate me to do my best each day.”

Burnett, who earned a Bachelor of Science in esports management from SU in the spring, was named coordinator of esports production shortly after graduating in May. He had previously been Shenandoah’s student esports production coordinator.

It was the latter role for which Burnett was recognized at the NACE Conference, as the Broadcast Producer of the Year award is given to a student who demonstrated the “foresight and wisdom to capture the most thrilling moments on camera in the past academic year.”

“I’m extremely grateful to be awarded as NACE Broadcast Producer of the Year. I’m happy to continue to represent the Shenandoah Esports brand and continue to uphold the standards of professionalism and quality we strive for within the program,” Burnett said.

Denz, known as “TinyShiny” in the esports community, is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in esports at SU. She works all of SU Esports’ daily broadcasts and has served as a broadcaster for high-level events such as Blizzard Entertainment’s Calling All Heroes and NACE’s Spring 2024 Grand Finals.

“I am honored to receive this recognition as a broadcast talent in collegiate esports,” Denz said. “Four years ago, when I worked my very first broadcast, I never could have dreamed of being honored with this award. I am beyond grateful for the immense support of Shenandoah University’s esports faculty and staff, which allows me to pursue my passion and prepare for a future career. This achievement is a testament to my growth in my first year as a student, thanks to the incredible esports program at Shenandoah University.”

In addition to its three award winners, Shenandoah Esports was nominated for a trio of other awards: Scholar of the Year (Zander Merle-Smith, MBA, instructor of esports), Outstanding Event (Boost on the Beach) and Production Team.