Warroad Esports Mario Kart Team Races to 2nd Place

Warroad High School Esports squad competes in Minnesota High School Esports Virtual League State Tournament.

Apr. 4, 2026 at 12:00am

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting a Mario Kart race, with the cars and track broken down into overlapping, angular shapes in bright primary colors, conveying the high-energy competition of Esports.Warroad High School's Esports team races to a second-place finish in the state Mario Kart tournament, showcasing the rise of competitive gaming in rural Minnesota.Warroad Today

Four students from Warroad High School's Esports team, along with their head coach Winter Booth, traveled to St. Cloud on March 12 to compete in the Minnesota High School Esports Virtual League State Tournament. This was the fourth season the Warroad Esports team has participated in the state tournament.

Why it matters

Esports is an increasingly popular extracurricular activity for high school students, providing opportunities for competition, skill development, and community building around video games. Warroad's strong performance in the state tournament highlights the growth of Esports programs in rural Minnesota communities.

The details

The Warroad Esports team competed in the Mario Kart event at the state tournament. They left Warroad early on March 12 due to an expected storm in central and southern Minnesota. This was the second year the Warroad Esports students had attended the state tournament, after also competing the previous year.

  • The Warroad Esports team traveled to St. Cloud on March 12 to compete in the state tournament.
  • This was the fourth season Warroad Esports students have participated in an Esports state tournament.

The players

Winter Booth

The head coach of the Warroad High School Esports team.

Warroad High School Esports team

A group of four students from Warroad High School who competed in the Minnesota High School Esports Virtual League State Tournament.

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What they’re saying

“We left Warroad early on March 12 due to a storm expected in south and central Minnesota.”

— Winter Booth, Head Coach, Warroad High School Esports

The takeaway

Warroad High School's Esports program continues to grow and thrive, with students competing at the state level and representing their rural community on the virtual gaming stage.