In games like this, many pros choose one character to master and stick with it. Mingo is known for playing Falco, a main character from the video game series Star Fox. In Smash Bros, Falco is known for his fast playstyle, utilizing combos and speed to dominate opponents. 

Mingo is so good at Falco that he was named the #1 Falco player in North America in October of 2025. 

Diego Zelaya, one of Mingo's teammates, spoke about what makes Mingo so good at the game.

“I think it’s just his composure. In very close games, he manages to just stay concentrated and not let his game plan falter in any way. He’s just a very consistent player,” said Zelaya. “What I hate most about fighting Dyson is how easy he gets to just abuse my mistakes. I haven’t lost to a single Falco that isn’t him, okay. But, in practice, every time I make a mistake, he capitalizes off it so hard.” 

Jono Eaton, MSU’s Esports Content and Production Coordinator, has known Mingo for two years. Eaton shared his thoughts about Mingo as a player and a leader within the Smash Bros. team.

“I think the most important thing is his ability to self-reflect. A lot of players, when they’re put in high-pressure situations, that kind of frazzles them, and he’s really good at blocking the noise out and learning to adapt,” said Eaton.

Building a program from the ground up

Mingo isn’t just a standout player; he’s also a foundational member who helped build the MSU esports program and its community.

“When I was a freshman, MSU varsity esports didn't exist. It was just a club team,” Mingo said. “In April 2023, there was a tournament called the Illini esports invitational, and like, all of our teams kind of cooked there, that kind of catapulted us to becoming varsity.”

Mingo explained his experience playing for a newly-established esports program, noting that the team wants to perform better because they come from "humble roots." He also said that while some programs get "lazy" after receiving funding, their team wants to prove themselves.

“You know, I still want us to win. I still want us to like, represent ourselves in the best way we can,” Mingo said.

Mingo leads other students on the Smash Bros. team in weekly weightlifting sessions, and according to Eaton, “one of our philosophies is, if you feel better, you play better, right?”

Reflecting on the past and future goals

“The first time I played Smash was when I was 6, and it was my favorite game back then,” said Mingo.

He shared that he stopped playing for a few years around middle school and picked the franchise back up upon Super Smash Bros. Ultimate’s release in 2018.

“I was really excited to play (the new game), we all stayed up, like all night, it came out on a weekend, so we just played and played,” said Mingo. “That was a really big day in my life, and we just kind of kept playing. We just wanted to be better than each other as friends.”

Mingo shared that around the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, many competitive Smash Bros. opportunities appeared for him. “I would play pretty much every day for four or five hours.”

Looking ahead, Mingo said graduating this spring doesn’t mean the end of his pro esports journey.

“Me and Adam (another teammate) are sponsored to a local Michigan team, so we’ll be playing on that team after we graduate. And also like, you know, I did it before college, why not do it after? I still love the game a lot. I still love to compete,” said Mingo.