Carson-Newman Leads Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia Entering Hartwell Slam

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ANDERSON, SC (April 12, 2024) – This weekend, the Association of Collegiate Anglers will contest its final double points event in the race for 2023-24 Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia.  250 boats, along with 23 of the Top 25 ranked teams, are set to compete at Lake Hartwell for the Hartwell Slam.  Entering this event, Carson-Newman University is the number one team in college fishing’s only all-encompassing National Rankings system.  Three-time defending title holder the University of Montevallo is in 2nd, and Campbellsville University moves up one spot to be ranked 3rd.

Carson-Newman enters the Hartwell Slam with a season total of 25,780 points.  The top ranked team in the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia earned a total of 1,950 points at the most recent MLF College Series event at Table Rock Lake.  Ben Cully & Hayden Gaddis finished in 24th, and Zachary Helton & Blake Wheat claimed 33rd.  This marks back-to-back points updates in which Carson-Newman has been ranked number one.

Sitting in 2nd is the three-time defending title winner University of Montevallo.  Montevallo closed the gap between themselves and top-ranked Carson-Newman by more than 400 points to trail by just 450 points entering the Hartwell Slam.  Montevallo earned the most points of any team competing in the MLF College Series event at Table Rock Lake.  Nicholas Dumke & Easton Fothergill won the tournament, while fellow teammates James Dubose & Daylon Milam took 3rd.  Those two Top 3 finishes earned Montevallo a total of 2,480 points.

Here is a look at other teams that made significant moves inside of the Top 25 for the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia:

3) Campbellsville University – Previously Ranked 4th

5) Bethel University – Previously Ranked 9th

10) Murray State University – Previously Ranked 11th

12) McKendree University – Previously Ranked 14th

View the complete updated rankings.

The Hartwell Slam is the final ACA double points event before the year-end triple points Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops next month.  Teams competing at Lake Hartwell will have the opportunity to earn points for their two highest-finishing teams in the final event standings.  Schools have the potential to earn over 3,000 points if their two best placing teams finish high up in the standings.  1st through 3rd are separated by less than 3,000 points, and 5th-15th have a point differential of 2,855 points.  With the points standings stacked so tight, there is a chance for teams to make major moves up and down in the standings based on their showing at Lake Hartwell.