Breaking Down the Standings in the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia
SAN ANTONIO, TX (January 12, 2023) – In today’s feature, we will be highlighting teams ranked 6th – 10th in the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia.
- Campbellsville University
Total Points: 14,190
Pre-Season Ranking: 12th
Knocking on the door of the Top 5, ranked 6th overall, is Campbellsville University. Exceeding its 12th place pre-season ranking, Campbellsville has gained over 14,000 points this season.
If the season were to end today, 6th place would be Campbellsville’s highest end of season ranking in program history. Here is a look at their final ranking for each of the past four seasons:
-2022 – 17th Place
-2021: 11th Place
-2020: 12th Place
-2019: 14th Place
Campbellsville started the season off with a bang at the Bass Pro Shops Big Bass Bash presented by Berkley at Kentucky Lake. Tigers Bass Team anglers accumulated a total of 3,100 points at Kentucky Lake in Henry County and Paris, TN. Lane Pohlman finished in 20th and fellow teammate Evan Barker took 22nd.
At Lake Dardanelle for the AFTCO Collegiate Bass Open in October, Campbellsville University earned just 1,360 points. With less than 500 points separating 6th from 5th, every point counts as the spring season starts up and one fish could be the difference in finishing the season ranked in the Top 5 nationally.
- Carson-Newman University
Total Points: 14,060
Pre-Season Ranking: 4th
The next team to be featured in the mid-season rankings review is Carson-Newman University. Carson-Newman is currently ranked 7th overall with a season total of 14,060 points. Carson-Newman was picked 4th entering this season, following a 4th place ranking to round out the 2021-22 race for Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia.
Coming in to this season, Carson-Newman knew they belonged amongst the top teams in the nation. “It means the world to me and my program that we are considered a Top 5 team, especially because of how hard we all work,” said Ben Cully, Carson-Newman angler. “Top 5 sounds really good, however we all know our capabilities and want to continue our goal to win SOY. We’ve got some incoming freshmen this fall that will definitely boost our talents,” added Cully. “I believe our team chemistry is now better than ever and I’m hoping that will help overall communication and better finishes from Carson-Newman.”
The incoming freshmen and team chemistry have propelled Carson-Newman to 6th in the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia. After earning just 1,990 points at Kentucky Lake for the Bass Pro Shops Big Bass Bash presented by Berkley, the team bounced back with over 3,000 points the following month at the AFTCO Collegiate Bass Open. Hayden Gaddis & Ben Cully finished in third, and Brady Duncan & Stevie Mills claimed 30th. Those two Top 30 finishes netted the team 3,190 points.
Carson-Newman will need multiple 3,000 plus point events this upcoming spring to best their back-to-back fourth place finishes the past two years.
- Drury University
Total Points: 13,270
Pre-Season Ranking: 6th
Drury University is currently ranked 8th in the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia with 13,270 points. Picked to finish 6th following the pre-season rankings, Drury checks in
just two spots back of where media members and the college fishing community placed them entering the year.
Drury has competed in seven major double points events this season. They earned over 2,000 points at four of those, but managed just 800 points at one and zero at another.
Strong showings at ACA double points events this past fall have Drury amongst the Top 10 best teams in college fishing at the halfway mark. Drury earned 2,360 points at the Bass Pro Shops Big Bass Bash presented by Berkley, and 2,900 points at the AFTCO Collegiate Bass Open.
Following the ACA Pre-Season Poll earlier this year, Drury was excited to see what the 2022-23 season had in store. “It means a lot for our program. Rick Emmitt, our coach, has built this program from the ground up,” stated Hunter Baird, member of the Drury University Bass Fishing Team. “Being a Top 10 school for the last three years has been amazing. I know that all of us on the team have put blood, sweat, and tears into this sport, so to see the success behind all the work is the best. To be recognized on a national level like this really puts the icing on the cake for us as a team. We, as a team, have been looking forward to the 22-23 season. We have a lot of new incoming freshmen that are going to fill some shoes both this year, and for years to come as well. So our goal is to work as a unit to become the best team out there,” explained Baird. “There is the old saying ‘nothing beats teamwork,’ and I think that is our motto for this season. For me, this is my last season here at Drury so to be in the Top 3 is a goal of mine. Being so close in years past, it would mean the world to us as a team to break through from being just in the background, to be a team of the year.”
Teamwork will be key to Drury’s success for the remainder of the season. 5th-8th in the National Rankings are separated by less than 1,200 points, a margin that can be made up at just one double points event.
- Dallas Baptist University
Total Points: 12,780
Pre-Season Ranking: 9th
“DBU’s growth over the past three years and it’s new ranking in the Top 10 are a testimony to the hard work put in behind the scenes,” said Layton Brown, DBU angler. “We are blessed to be viewed by our peers as a top team. Most of all, we are proud of the platform the ACA has provided to raise awareness about our program and engage in long term relationships with industry professionals and fellow competitors.”
These were the words of DBU angler Layton Brown entering the 2022-23 season of the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia. DBU has lived up to its pre-season ranking of 9th, finding themselves in 9th at the midway point of the year.
Dallas Baptist started the season off with a bang by winning the Bass Pro Shops Big Bass Bash presented by Berkley. Parker Brown bested the 500 plus angler field with a largemouth bass weighing 7.21 pounds. DBU earned 3,360 points at the first ACA double points event of the season. They then backed that up with an additional 3,070 points at Lake Dardanelle for the AFTCO Collegiate Bass Open.
Going in to the stretch run of the season, DBU is looking to continue to improve. “One of the main goals DBU has every year is surpassing what we have been previously ranked to demonstrate improvement and growth in a highly competitive field,” added Brown. “Using the Lord’s guidance, we look forward to the challenges of the 2022-2023 season.”
T-10. University of North Alabama
Total Points: 11,715
Pre-Season Ranking: 11th
There is a tie at 10th place in this standings update for the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia. One of the teams involved in that tie is the University of North Alabama. A past winner of the title, UNA entered the year with a pre-season ranking of 11th. The team from Florence, AL has earned 11,715 points.
As is the case with most teams ranked up high in the standings for the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia, UNA competed in both ACA double points events this past fall. The team from Florence, AL earned 2,590 points at Kentucky Lake for the Bass Pro Shops Big Bass Bash presented by Berkley, and 3,000 points from the AFTCO Collegiate Bass Open on Lake Dardanelle.
Coming in to the year, UNA had their sights set on another title, “SOY has been a goal on this team for the past four years and starting in the Top 15 means a lot to us because it gives us a good starting spot to make that jump,” said Benson Dowler, UNA Bass Fishing Team member. “One major goal is to of course win SOY but another goal is a national title. We have been close many times but this year I feel is UNA’s year.”
The ACA will return to Pickwick Lake for the Pickwick Slam in April and then host the triple points 2023 BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops at Lake Hartwell in May. Each of these events will provide UNA with a great opportunity to make a push for the top of the rankings.
T-10. Wabash Valley College
Total Points: 11,715
Pre-Season Ranking: 19th
Exceeding pre-season expectations and cracking the Top 10 is Wabash Valley College. WVC entered the season ranked 19th and finds themselves in a tie for 10th with 11,715 points.
Coming in to the season, this is exactly where Wabash Valley College was hoping to be. “Our primary goal this year is to get Wabash Valley College inside the Top 10 for School of the Year,” noted Todd Gill, Head Coach of the WVC Bass Fishing Team. “With the new points system in place, I have already challenged our anglers to work on being more consistent in their finishes from event to event, as we are going to need two quality finishes at every tournament to accomplish that goal. Pre-tournament preparation and working together more on practice days will be necessary for us to break into the Top 10.”
Through the first half of the season, WVC has remained consistent in their finishes. They earned just over 2,000 points at each of the ACA double points events this past fall.
If WVC is able to maintain this Top 10 ranking, or even improve, they will have achieved the highest end of season ranking in their school’s young history. Keep an eye on this team of underclassmen as they push into the back stretch of this season.
