In a first for the Lone Tree esports program, one of its top players will be moving on to college to compete at the next level on scholarship.

Current Lone Tree senior Nic Bowman will head to Marshalltown Community College next fall to continue his esports career, where he will focus on the game Valorant. Bowman has been a standout for the Lions, being a part of the team that captured the 2025 Class 1A Valorant state title. Bowman is considered a top prospect, having previously been named to the Esports Portal Top 100 Class of ‘26 in the United States.

Bowman says he chose to go to Marshalltown as they stayed in touch with him throughout the process, “I’ve gotten multiple offers from all kinds of colleges, but Marshalltown really stood out with their communication, and they always check up and see how I’m doing and everything.”

Several games are offered each season, but this year, Lone Tree focused on Super Smash Brothers Ultimate in the fall, Rocket League in the winter, and will again focus on Valorant in the spring.

At just 79 students, Lone Tree is one of the smallest schools in the state by total enrollment to compete in esports, but the Lions frequently compete against and beat larger schools. Bowman gives his teammates accolades within the Lone Tree program, “They have gotten really good, where like in some aspects of the game, they’re even a bit better than me. I really do appreciate my teammates for putting in the time and effort.”

The Lone Tree esports program is coached by Jessica Howard.