Mid-Season Review of the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year Presented by Abu Garcia

Taking a closer look at teams ranked 16-20 compared to their pre-season ranking

SAN ANTONIO, TX (January 4, 2022) – In today’s feature, we will be highlighting teams ranked 16^th– 20^th in the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia.

Blue Mountain College

Total Points: 4,205

Pre-Season Ranking: 10^th

Blue Mountain College is the first team we highlight in this breakdown of the teams currently ranked 16^th – 20^th in the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia. The Toppers Bass Team checks in at 16^th, six spots below where they were projected entering the season. On the year, BMC has grossed 4,205 points.

More than half of the team’s points came at the 2021 AFTCO Collegiate Bass Open on Lake Dardanelle. Taking advantage of the double points opportunity up for grabs, BMC anglers combined to earn a total of 2,210 points that weekend. Isaac Duncan & Fisher Overton finished in 9^th, and Nick Staub & Lake Nasworthy placed 22^nd.

For the first time in the history of the Association of Collegiate Anglers, we will be hosting a premier no-entry-fee collegiate fishing event in the state of Mississippi. The Barnett Reservoir Rumble will be held in Ridgeland, MS at Barnett Reservoir April 9-10, 2022.

This will be a home-state event for Blue Mountain College, which is located in Blue Mountain, MS. The BMC campus is roughly three hours from the host-site for this ACA major event. Look for the Toppers to have a strong showing here and set themselves up for a late season run that could help them crack the Top 10 in the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia.

Emmanuel College

Total Points: 4,000

Pre-Season Ranking: 15^th

Emmanuel College, located in Franklin Springs, GA, is currently ranked 17^th in the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia with 4,000 points.

The school’s best finish thus far came at the MLF Southeastern Regional on Lake Chickamauga. Cy Casey & Tanner Hadden finished in 3^rd place with a five bass limit weighing 15 pounds. That Top 3 finish paid off to the tune of 980 points.

Emmanuel College has been making a lot of noise on the college trail the past few seasons. Coming off of a 22^nd place finish in the 2021 Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia, the team enters this year with a ton of confidence and momentum.

Missing from the team’s resume this season is an ACA double points event to boost its overall points total. Success on the national stage, along with a few double points opportunities could catapult Emmanuel College into the Top 10 in the nation.

Georgia College & State University

Total Points: 3,565

Pre-Season Ranking: 45^th

Georgia College & State University is exceeding pre-season expectations by a significant amount. Picked to finish the season 45^th by media and college fishing insiders, GCSU finds itself ranked 18^th as the season reaches the midway point. The team’s season point total is currently 3,565.

A bulk of Georgia College’s points have derived from two particular events, the AFTCO Collegiate Bass Open at Lake Dardanelle and MLF Southeastern Regional on Lake Chickamauga. Propelled by two Top 25 finishes in Russellville, AR, GCSU earned a total of 2,110 points at the AFTCO Open. Later that same month at Lake Chickamauga, Noah Campbell & Troy Harris secured 950 points with a 6th place finish at the MLF Southeastern Regional.

GCSU is a very active club that travels the country competing in a wide variety of points earning events. With three ACA double points events still remaining on the schedule, as well as numerous other major events, keep an eye out for GCSU to continue to climb up the standings as they strive to become a fixture in top 10 rankings.

Missouri State University

Total Points: 3,325

Pre-Season Ranking: 19^th

For the first time in this mid-season rankings review, a team’s current ranking matches its position in the pre-season poll. Entering the 2021-22 season of the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia, Missouri State was ranked 19^th. Now at the halfway mark, with the calendar turning over to 2022, Missouri State finds itself 19^th in the nation with 3,325 points.

Missouri State’s strongest showing of the season came at the Mississippi River for the MLF Central Regional. Hunter Thorsen & Austin Ware finished 7^th overall to claim 940 points.

Missouri State is a strong club that works hard every year to show well in the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia. One of the ways in which they go above and beyond is by hosting an ACA sanctioned school-run event each year. This year’s event was hosted at Lake of the Ozarks in mid-October. The school-run tournament fielded 24 teams representing seven unique schools. By hosting the event, Missouri State earned an additional 40 hosting points.

Missouri State, like many of the teams ranked 16^th – 25^th, appears poised for a fruitful spring season. One solid double points event separates 8^th and 19^th at the moment, leaving the door open for a team back in the standings to climb into the Top 10 before season’s end.

Louisiana Tech University

Total Points: 3,320

Pre-Season Ranking: Unranked

Louisiana Tech University received no votes in the ACA Top 25 Pre-Season Poll. The team from Ruston, LA is the first school to find itself in the Top 25 after being unranked to enter the year. Louisiana Tech has a season total of 3,320 points.

Though Louisiana Tech has not secured a Top 5 finish at any major events this year, the team has remained consistent. Consistency is key to a successful showing in the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia.

Louisiana Tech is another team that could factor in greatly at Barnett Reservoir if they make the trip over to Ridgeland, MS. Shallow, muddy water is the standard throughout Louisiana, and there will be plenty of it to fish at Barnett Reservoir in April.

The state of Louisiana produces very quality anglers, and the Louisiana Tech fishing team is comprised of anglers that will catch them anywhere they go. Watch out for the Louisiana Tech squad to be a key player over the next several months.