SAN ANTONIO, TX (October 26, 2023) – The Association of Collegiate Anglers recently contested its second event of the 2023-24 season on the Bass Pro Shops Collegiate Bass Fishing Series. The AFTCO Collegiate Bass Open saw close to 240 teams compete on Lake Dardanelle in Russellville, AR for more than $20,000 in prizes and contingencies, as well as double points to count towards the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia. Along with the valuable prizes and points up for grabs, the Top 10 teams in the final tournament standings earned qualification into the 2024 Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops.
Here are the 10 teams that earned automatic qualification to compete in the 19thedition of college fishing’s longest-running National Championship at Pickwick Lake next May:
Wyatt Pearman & Ridge Rutledge – Campbellsville University
Caden Crutchfield & Micah Sowders – Murray State University
Peyton Harris & Dalton Head – University of Montevallo
Jackson Paden & Austin Wadzinski – University of Tennessee
Archer Smith & Jackson Kulijof – Murray State University
Hayden Gaddis & Ben Cully – Carson-Newman University
Storm Cline & Gavin Clevenger – Carson-Newman University
Cade Lipham & Caleb Coleman – Drury University
TJ Edwards & Camden Lewis – Blue Mountain Christian University
10.Caz Anderson & Will Harris – Carson-Newman University
Carson-Newman and Murray State are the only two schools to earn multiple qualifications from this event.
5th ranked Carson-Newman had three teams finish in the Top 10 at the AFTCO Collegiate Bass Open. Combined with three Top 10’s at Kentucky Lake earlier this season, Carson-Newman has earned a total of six automatic qualifications into the 2024 Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops via Top 10 finishes. If the season were to end today, the team from Jefferson City, TN would qualify to send 10 boats to compete at Pickwick Lake.
Murray State has earned the second highest number of additional qualifications through the first two events of the season on the Bass Pro Shops Collegiate Bass Fishing Series. The 3rd ranked team in the nation earned three spots at Kentucky Lake and tacked on two more at Lake Dardanelle. Murray State currently qualifies to send nine teams to the Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops.
View the complete Championship Qualification Criteria.
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