WNXL Midwest Open 2026 - Illness Event
Some tournaments begin on Thursday.
This one started almost two weeks before.
Right after MXL Monterrey, I flew straight to Tampa on June 9 to start preparing for the NXL Midwest Open. The FIFA World Cup was happening at the same time, which made airline tickets ridiculously expensive, so instead of flying closer to the event, I decided to spend those extra days training with Shock before heading to Chicago for layout weekend.
The trip started with a little bit of chaos. Right after checking in, airport security stopped me because of my paintball gear. After explaining everything to members of the National Army and showing that the markers were powered by compressed air, they let me through without any more issues.
I landed in Tampa around 10 p.m. on a Tuesday and headed straight to the team house. Since I was on summer break from college, I had nothing but time to focus on getting better. My days became a simple routine of training, eating, recovering, and repeating. I even started going on hikes until one day I ran into what looked like snake eggs. That was enough motivation for me to immediately retire.
Training became my full-time job. I bought cones so I could set up workouts on my own, and with Florida's humidity every session felt twice as hard. Looking back, those extra weeks of preparation made a huge difference once the tournament finally arrived.
That Saturday I went to Legacy, where the guys from D2 TAKEOVER invited me to jump into practice with them. We ran points against Legacy, Rejects, and several other teams, making for an incredible day of paintball.
The following day Rooney from Aftershock, my teammate Alex from Shock, and several Damage players mixed into practice as well. Every time I get the opportunity to share the field with players I've watched for years, it still feels surreal. Those are the moments that remind me why all the travel and hard work are worth it.
The only downside came after. Between the Florida heat and not drinking nearly enough water, I genuinely felt like I was about to pass out. I even pinned the nearest emergency room on my maps just in case. Safe to say I learned my lesson.
Throughout the rest of the week I focused on nutrition, recovery, and workouts while also following Colombia's run in the World Cup. Before I knew it, it was finally time to head to Chicago.
Layout Weekend in Chicago
I flew into Chicago on June 18 and finally met up with Hoski, Koston, and Mason. Before thinking about paintball, we took some time to enjoy the city. We grabbed Chicago-style pizza, visited Cloud Gate (The Bean), drank milkshakes, and walked around downtown.
Later that evening, Koston and I spotted a park next to the hotel and decided to go on a random side quest. Somehow that ended with us playing tag with a group of kids. Definitely not the workout I expected.
Friday was our first day at Badlandz. We worked on breakouts, snapshot drills, and started putting together our game plans for the layout.
One thing nobody warned us about was the paint.It was the brightest pink paint I've ever seen, and it stained absolutely everything. By the end of practice we all looked like Oompa Loompas. To make things even better, it rained every night, turning the field into a muddy mess. We tried doing laundry that evening, but it barely made a difference.
Saturday brought some of the best practice of the weekend. We scrimmaged against Distortion, and both teams pushed each other to see completely different looks on the layout. Those are always my favorite practices because everyone walks away better than they arrived.
I also managed to win a 1v1 that day, but the biggest surprise came after practice. I was invited to play NXL Europe in the United Kingdom at the Pro level. The only problem?
The event was only ten days away.
As soon as practice ended, I started filling out visa paperwork, gathering every document I could find, and trying to make the trip happen. Later that night we watched film from practice and wrote down our corrections for Sunday while I continued working on immigration forms.
Sunday was another busy day. We squeezed in our final matches before the rain arrived, taped up one of the coolest-looking markers I've ever seen, and celebrated the end of layout weekend with some incredible Mexican food. Somehow I still had enough energy to hit the gym later that night before printing every document I needed for my visa appointment the next morning.
On Monday I took the metro into downtown Chicago, got my biometrics and photo taken, and was told I would likely have a decision within three days.
Arrival in Ohio
Tuesday we drove down to Ohio, arriving in Cincinnati late in the afternoon. We checked into the hotel, got one more workout in at the gym, grabbed dinner, and called it a night. I couldn't stop thinking about the opportunity to compete in Europe.
Then Wednesday evening the email finally arrived.
My visa had been denied.
It definitely hurt, especially knowing how close everything had felt. Still, I truly believe everything happens for a reason. Maybe this just wasn't the right time.
With that behind me, it was time to refocus.
We headed over to the venue, walked the 3v3 field, helped set up the Paintball for Purpose tent, and got ready for the tournament. The Midwest Open was finally here.
Thursday – Pro 3v3 and Double Duty
As always, Thursday meant Pro 3v3.This time our opponents were Distortion and Uprising, two incredible teams. Since we had practiced against Distortion during layout weekend, we knew this match was going to be close.
During the second point, I found myself in a 1v1 against one of their top players. After nearly two minutes of nonstop gunfighting, I managed to come out on top, earning my very first Pro 1v1 victory. That moment alone made the trip worth it.
But don't get too excited yet. The match stayed incredibly close the entire time, and when the clock expired we were tied 3-3, meaning it was time for an overtime 1v1.
Jim asked if I wanted to take it. Without hesitation, I said yes.
We stepped onto the field, and what felt like forever turned into another intense gunfight. Nate from Distortion made the first move toward the snake, and I answered by attacking through the Dorito side. Every move I made was trying to gain ground and close the distance, but this layout had a massive brick in the center that made it really easy to lose sight of each other.
I kept trying to work closer for a better gunfight, but before I could make my next move, Nate connected a shot straight to my mask. Overtime over.
It hurt, because those moments can go either way, and I still think there was probably something I could've done differently. We shook hands afterward, talked for a while about the point, and it was really cool hearing his perspective on the gunfight.
Our second match was against Uprising. The score wasn't nearly as close, but we fought until the very end, eventually falling 1-5. Once 3v3 wrapped up, I immediately switched gears and practiced for an hour with HEROINES, learning the snake side for the first time. As soon as that practice ended, I ran over to Shock for another hour on the field.
Three different sessions. Two teams. One very long day.
Unfortunately, by that point I was already starting to get sick.
Friday – A Tough Start
I had an 8 a.m. game with HEROINES, but I never actually slept. Around 3 a.m. I walked down to the hotel lobby because I couldn't stay in bed anymore. I could barely talk, and by 5:30 I was already downstairs waiting to head to the field. Whatever I had picked up was hitting me hard, but there was no chance I was missing games.
Our first match was against Sirens. Even though the scoreboard says 5-0, it was a much tougher game than it looks on paper. We had to earn every point, and it was a good reminder that nothing was going to come easy this weekend.
Right after that we played Bear Ridge Saints for the first time. They exposed a lot of the mistakes we were making, and we dropped the game 2-5. As frustrating as it was, it also showed us exactly what we needed to fix if we wanted to make a run on Sunday.
Later in the day it was time to switch jerseys and focus on Shock.
Later in the day it was time to switch jerseys and focus on Shock.We opened with a solid 7-2 win, but that momentum disappeared quickly when Legacy handed us a 5-0 loss. At that point, we thought our path was simple: win both games on Saturday and we'd make Sunday.
Unfortunately, tournaments don't always work the way you expect. By the end of the day I was barely checking my phone or filming anything. Between the fever, the lack of sleep, and constantly waking up during the night, I was completely drained. The goal shifted from feeling good to simply finding a way to stay on the field.
Saturday – Fighting for Sunday
Saturday wasn't much different physically, but mentally I knew I had to keep pushing.
HEROINES started the morning with a convincing 5-0 win over Angels before facing Dallas Vibe. They controlled the pace of that match, and we fell 1-5. Looking back, I honestly don't know how I managed to play through it. Breathing felt difficult, my body had no energy, but somehow adrenaline kept taking over every time the buzzer sounded.
Once again it was time to switch jerseys.
Shock came out strong, earning a huge 2-1 win over IKONIK before finishing prelims with a dominant 5-0 mercy rule. We thought we had done everything we needed to do. Then the standings came out.
Almost every team in our bracket had finished with a 3-1 record, creating a three-way tie that had to be decided by points scored.
We missed Sunday... By one single point. That one hurt.
After all the work we had put in over the previous two weeks, after the layout weekend, the practices, and fighting through sickness, our tournament ended because of a single point in the standings. Shock finished 11th, and while that wasn't where we wanted to be, this team continues to improve every event. Missing Sunday only made us hungrier for the next one.
Thankfully, my weekend wasn't over yet. HEROINES had finished 2-2, which meant we were still alive, but we would have to start Sunday in the quarterfinals.
Sunday – Finishing Strong
Sunday started early.
Really early. Another 5 a.m. wake-up call, another handful of medicine, and another opportunity to prove what this team was capable of.
Our quarterfinal match was a rematch against Bear Ridge Saints. We had spent the night watching film and making adjustments after losing to them on Friday, and this time everything clicked.
We controlled the game from start to finish and walked away with a convincing 5-0 victory.
Originally, we expected to play Femmes in the semifinals, but after the bracket shifted, we ended up facing Dallas Vibe instead.
Just like every time we play them, it became an absolute battle.
Neither team could pull away, and every point felt like it could decide the match. We stayed composed, trusted each other, and closed it out with a hard-fought 3-2 win.
On the other side of the bracket, Northern Lights had reached Sunday for the first time in team history. They gave Femmes everything they had, but experience prevailed, setting up another championship match between HEROINES and Femmes.
A rivalry that never disappoints.
Four Straight Championships
The finals were exactly what everyone expected. Physical. Close. Emotional.
Every point mattered.
Neither team was willing to give an inch.
With less than a minute remaining, Nana forced a penalty that completely changed the game. Since it happened inside the final 60 seconds, we would start the next point up by one, while Femmes would have to play a body down.
Twenty-three seconds. The buzzer sounded.
Twenty seconds left.
We got the first elimination.
Fifteen. Ten. Five.
Every second felt longer than the last. I could already see the finish line. One second remaining... A flag went up. The clock hit zero. The penalty was on Femmes.
Final score. HEROINES 4 – Femmes 2.
Another Midwest Open title.
Our fourth tournament victory in a row.
Looking back, this tournament taught me one of the biggest lessons I've learned in paintball. It's not about how you start. It's about how you finish.
I never felt close to one hundred percent physically during the event. There were moments where I honestly felt like I wasn't doing much on the field, but the girls never stopped trusting me, and that confidence from my teammates made all the difference.
Sometimes that's what being part of a great team is all about. You pick each other up on the days when someone isn't at their best.
HEROINES walked away with another WNXL Midwest Open 2026 championship, while Shock finished a tough 11th place, missing Sunday by just a single point.
One trophy.
One lesson.
And plenty of motivation.
Next stop is Texas with the guys, and I already know one thing. We'll be back stronger than ever.
