Published in the June 21, 2018 edition

NORTH READING senior Antonio Bautista-Foti (center) was awarded an eSports scholarship to Illinois College. Also at the celebratory scholarship signing was Assistant Principal Michael Downs (left) and Principal Anthony Loprete. (Loannah Foti Photo)

NORTH READING — Antonio Bautista-Foti, class 2018 of North Reading High School, is a new kind of athlete for a new type of sport. Antonio will be attending Illinois College in the fall of 2018 as a student-athlete and participate in the sport of eSports League of Legends while fulfilling his academic responsibilities.

Gaming is a big part of Antonio’s life. He played team sports but his passion was video games. He became particularly interested in League of Legends, a multiplayer online battle arena video game. As Antonio became a dedicated gamer he started to acquire gaming equipment to help him become a more effective player, watched previous tournaments online, and attended championship events for inspiration – all the while not knowing that his gaming skills would help him with college education through an eSports scholarship.

Antonio’s dream is to win a championship and to promote the value of eSports.