Nehl claims second Cougar esports National Championship

The Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) esports program captured its second National Junior College Athletic Association Esports (NJCAAE) Championship on May 5 when Cougar freshman Kaden Nehl defeated Salt Lake Community College (SLCC) 3-0 in the Hearthstone championship game.

The Guttenberg native chose NICC for its esports program and wasted no time joining the team when he arrived in August. Initially, Hearthstone was not the game Kaden competed in for the program, but Coach Verrick Foust saw him casually playing it one day in the arena and encouraged him to give it a try.

"The main thing I like about Hearthstone is that it is a strategy card game and does not require fine tuning mechanics like other games do," Nehl said. "I believe NICC has been successful in this game because Verrick will do everything in his power to help us out as a longtime player himself."

"I had played against him and recognized his high skill level firsthand," Foust said. "I knew that once he started competing, he had the potential to surprise the entire league, and he did exactly that."

Nehl went 6-1 during the spring season, which was good enough to secure him a spot in the Division 1 playoffs. On his way to the championship game, he defeated Kirtland Community College 3-2 and Lake Michigan College 3-0. He then comfortably handled SLCC to win NICC's second Hearthstone National Championship in two years.

"Being a National Champion means that at this point in time you are seen as the best in the specific area in your country at that level," Nehl said. "That's what I am."

His accomplishments this season led to him being named co-Male Athlete of the Year at the Cougar Athletics Banquet on May 7.

Outside of the esports arena, Nehl has taken advantage of the full NICC experience. In addition to being a student-athlete, he's a manager for the Cougar baseball team.

"The main thing that motivates me to be involved is getting to know people," Nehl said. "One thing my dad taught me before he passed in 2020 was to get to know lots of different people because everyone has different experiences and strengths and you can learn a lot based on that."

"He effectively balances a heavy academic load with a 90-minute daily round-trip commute," Foust said. "Kaden perfectly embodies the hardworking, 'all-in' mentality we strive to instill in all our players. He is a fantastic example of dedication to both the NICC campus and the community."

Nehl joins Mason Cigrand as the only National Champions in athletic department history and has set a high bar for his sophomore season both as an athlete and a key member of the NICC community.

Stay up-to-date with Cougar Athletics at NICCAthletics.com.