CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Cleveland State University Esports program added Nicholas Pagano on Thursday. Pagano is a freshman and enrolled in the computer science program.

Pagano is from Aurora, Ohio, and attended Aurora High School. He was part of the Halo 5 team, taking first in FFA and second in doubles.

Coach PJ Farrell said, "Nick submitted some of his online play to me early on in our Valorant team search.  Joe Krzywicki, our Valorant coach, and I sat down to watch and were extremely impressed by his gameplay and communication.  As an incoming freshman, Nick will be a staple of our program for years to come!"

Pagano is the son of Steve and Tina Pagano.

Gaming Information
Gamer Tag: Exile#Flick
Game at CSU: Valorant
Position/Role in the Game: Initiator/Support

Quote Section
What made you get into Esports and choose the game you play today?
"The competitive game mode created an urge to get better and climb the ranks. When I heard that Halo Infinite was announced and it would be a while, I made the switch to PC games and my first fps on mouse and keyboard happened to be Valorant."

What is your favorite moment in your gaming career?
"Playing ranked on Halo 5 with some amazing people that acted as leaders when I was of a young age."

Why did you choose Cleveland State?
"It is close to home and offers the major that I was looking for along with Esports."

What advice would you give someone looking to get into Esports?
"Find someone that pushes you in every game you play."