KENOSHA, Wis. –
Rylee Preston (Ender14), a junior studying Mathematics from Union Grove, Wisconsin, is a starter for the Carthage Smash Bros. team. He is tasked with competing against other colleges within the National Esports Collegiate Conference (NECC) and the Wisconsin Esports Conference (WEC). Preston operates in fast-paced virtual fighting stages that require split-second decision-making.
For those unfamiliar, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is a crossover platform fighting game for the Nintendo Switch, developed by Bandai Namco Studios and Sora Ltd., led by Masahiro Sakurai. The goal is not to drain an enemy's health bar, but to knock them outside the boundaries of a stage. As fighters take damage, their percentage increases, making them easier to launch further away with heavier attacks.
The game's roster includes a plethora of Nintendo-related franchises: Animal Crossing, Donkey Kong, Fire Emblem, Kirby, Pokémon, The Legend of Zelda, Metroid, Splatoon, Star Fox, and Super Mario. Additionally, third-party representation comes from these franchises: Banjo & Kazooie, Bayonetta, Castlevania, Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, Mega Man, Metal Gear, Pac-Man, Persona, Street Fighter, and more.
Within NECC and WEC competition, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate commences under a "Crew Battle" format. Crew Battles are team competitions where two groups of players compete through a series of one-on-one matches. When a player loses, they switch with a teammate, while the winner stays in and may face a new opponent from the other team. The match continues until one team loses all its stocks. Each team consists of four players, each with three stocks, for a total of 12. In a best-of-three format, this process is repeated for each set.
Preston began his esports journey at Union Grove High School from 2020 to 2024. Unfortunately, he found it difficult to form Smash Bros. teams as program-wide interest fluctuated. However, Preston found ways to compete, which helped him in the long run. For what it's worth, Union Grove took home the Wisconsin High School Esports Association's (WIHSEA) Fall 2020 Sportsmanship Award. Since 2018, WIHSEA has organized competitive seasons for multiple video game titles involving teams throughout Wisconsin.
After his four years at Union Grove, Preston sought to identify a college that would satisfy not only his competitive desires but also his personal ones.
"My main objective when looking for a college was that I wanted it to be local. Carthage was about 20 minutes away from my home. When evaluating Carthage with my family, we found out they had a good esports program, and with no expectations, I tried out."
– Preston on deciding his collegiate destination
Preston's Smash Bros. experience stems from his dedication to playing online matches and watching professionals compete. With this mindset, Preston can analyze how professionals use a specific character's moveset to climb the ranks. From there, he can put in the hours to practice in online matches or even alongside his teammates: Senior Alex Chuluunbat (ParaMedx) and junior Shannon Pasters (MintMelee). Preston uses two main characters: Zero Suit Samus (ZSS) and Donkey Kong.
Since joining Carthage in Fall 2024, he has chosen ZSS the most in his NECC and WEC matches. ZSS' moveset offers versatility and quickness while striking opponents with a Plasma Whip. Her forward-smash extends the whip in a two-hit strike. The up-smash twirls the whip upward to hit enemies overhead. Lastly, ZSS' down-smash discharges electricity right at her feet to stun nearby opponents.
Donkey Kong (DK) is a heavier and grounded character designed to deal massive knockback damage. His attacks are slow and heavy-hitting. DK's forward-smash is a devastating, far-reaching giant hand clap, while his up-smash delivers a powerful upward-sweeping-double-fist arc. Lastly, DK's down-smash allows him to slam both fists into the ground to strike opponents on both sides.
"I always was competitive in real life and video games. Whether that was sports, games with friends, or online games like Smash. I'm not really sure what made me play Smash so much. Whether it was the limitless skill expression or just the fact that it was a game with a bunch of Nintendo characters."
– Preston on his competitive spirit and his open-ended interest for Smash Bros.
Preston has enjoyed being part of Carthage's Smash Bros. team during his time on campus. Although they haven't been the top team to watch, Preston's gratitude lies in the opportunity to test his skill against players in settings he otherwise would not have had the chance to be in. One such example occurred during the tail end of Carthage's Spring 2026 WEC campaign.
"At the end of the season [Spring 2026 WEC Regional LAN], I played in matches against CRB (Caden Rohan), the No. 1 player in Wisconsin at the time and his school [UW-Milwaukee Panthers Gold]. In one of the two matches against him, I remember cleaning up a stock, then beating someone fully, and then eventually falling to CRB. However, without Carthage or the WEC program, I would have never even had a chance for that to happen."
– One of Preston's memorable experiences from competing for Carthage Smash Bros.
Since the 2024-25 competitive year, Rylee Preston has recorded 65 knockouts to 70 falls within his NECC competitive career on Carthage Smash. In Fall 2024, Preston recorded the second-most knockouts (32) alongside 36 falls. With these statistics and the internal backing from teammates Connor Grubisic (Spacefood), Jackson Bossart (MechanicalMerlyn), and Will Stevens (LunarSynergy), Preston achieved Most Valuable Player honors at the 2024-25 Carthage Esports Banquet on May 14, 2025. In Fall 2025, Preston tied for the second-most knockouts (33) alongside 34 falls.
In WEC competition, Preston has accumulated 32 knockouts alongside 32 falls across the Spring 2025 and Spring 2026 regular seasons according to the WEC League OS page.
As he heads into his junior year, Preston aims to keep soaking up the moments that come with being a valuable piece of Carthage Smash's puzzle.
Carthage Esports will resume regularly scheduled livestreams in late September and early October to kick off the Fall 2026 season and the 2026-27 competitive year. Follow @carthageesports on all socials to stay updated on content involving the upcoming Fall 2026 and Spring 2027 seasons. Follow our Twitch channel to be informed when broadcasts go live. Lastly, be on the lookout for recaps on the Carthage Athletics – Esports page once the Fall 2026 season begins.
