Eighty-five collegiate bass fishing teams will converge on Lake DuBay July 9-11 for the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series National Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops, marking the first time for Wisconsin to host the finals.
The field of qualifiers is the largest in the history of the program, according to Hank Weldon, B.A.S.S. College tournament manager. The anglers represent 60 colleges and universities. The teams qualified for the championship through five regional tournaments and a wild card event.
Weldon said Stevens Point boasts a passionate fishing community and will prove to be great hosts for the college students, many of whom will be fishing in Wisconsin for the first time.
“The fishing in DuBay is reported to be tough, yet we’ve seen some of the anglers practicing showing off some really big bass on their social media feeds,” Weldon said. “It’s definitely going to be a challenging event, but the world’s best collegiate anglers need to be challenged for a championship.”
Leading the championship qualifiers is the team of Jake Whitaker and Andrew Helms of the University of North Carolina-Charlotte, who were the 2014 champions and also qualified through the Carhartt Eastern Regional. They’re the first full team to try to defend their title; other championship teams in the past have been broken up through graduation or other changes.
“This is the point that every college angler wants to get to,” Whitaker said. “For us to be automatically qualified was good, but we wanted to prove that we deserved to be there again. To qualify again and have the chance to defend our title is exciting, but at the same time it’s a hard task to accomplish.”
The full field of teams will compete on the 6,830-acre Lake DuBay on Days 1 and 2 (July 9-10). The Top 5 teams will compete for the national championship crown on July 11. Following the team finals, the Top 4 teams will move on to the bracket format in which they will compete individually for a spot in the 2016 GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by GoPro on Grand Lake in Oklahoma.
Takeoffs will be at 6 a.m. from the Tiki Beach Bar and Grill (1126 County Road DB, Mosinee, WI 54455), and weigh-ins will take place at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Sun Dial (2040 Portage St., Stevens Point, WI 54481).
Bassmaster.com will cover the event with live reports from the lake, live-streamed weigh-ins, photos and stories.
Local hosts for the events are the Stevens Point Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, Stevens Point Area Central Wisconsin Sports Commission, Tike Beach Bar and Grill, Travel Wisconsin and the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
Below is a complete list of Carhartt Bassmaster College Series National Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops qualifiers.
Southern Regional Qualifiers
Thomas Oltorik and James Oltorik of Daytona State College
Baylor Ronemus and Cole Tinsley of Clemson University
CJ Knight and Tim Ward of Auburn University
Cody Spears and Justin Mahon of Florida State University
Austin Littrell and Ben Wall of Auburn University
Patrick Walters and Josh Rennebaum of the University of South Carolina
Murphy Klumpp and Lucas Brown of Auburn University
John Duarte and Jonathan Kelley of Coastal Carolina University
Hunter Gibson and Caiden Sinclair of the University of Alabama
Anderson Aldag and Lee Mattox of the University of Alabama
Josh Oliver and Nathan George of Gadsden State Community College
Ross Burns and Richard Nesbitt of Clemson University
Ross Dove and Richie Young of Emmanuel College
Kevin Lucas and Kyle Stafford of University of Central Florida
Grant Galloway and Joe Marty of Mississippi State University
Jacob Reome and Matthew Garvin of Clemson University
Taylor Minick and Micheal Harbach of Valdosta State University
Frankie Appaluccio and Logan Shaddix of the University of Alabama
Midwestern Regional Qualifiers
Justin Brown and Brandon Bissell of Northern Michigan University
Cade Laufenberg and Wyatt Stout of Winona State University
Austin Brimeyer and Anthony Riesberg of the University of Dubuque
Sheldon Rogge and Lance Maldonado of Kansas State University
Grant Ehlenfeldt and Brett Stanek of the University of Wisconsin-Platteville
Cole Atkinson of St. Ambrose University
Tyler Rocke and Justin Schick of Illinois Central College
Jared Mataczynski and Steve Nebel of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
Samuel Moore and Ross Kellermeier of Bemidji State University
Taylor Bivins and Kyle Alsop of Kansas State University
Justin Bruno and Brody Anderson of Grand Valley State University
Trevor Lo and Chris Burgan of the University of Minnesota
Kit Benson and Wes Lashmett of Western Illinois University
Central Regional Qualifiers
John Ledet and Justin Cooper of Northwestern State University
Evan Smith and Aaron Sarna of Arkansas Tech University
Dwight Camp and Jonathan Furlong of Southeastern Oklahoma University
Brock Enmeier and Colten Hutson of the University of Central Oklahoma
Aaron Belgard and Logan Laprarie of Northwestern State University
Tyler Craig and Blake Alford of the University of Louisiana-Monroe
Tyler Stewart and Nick Joiner of the University of Louisiana-Monroe
Josh Bensema and Matthew Mcardle of Texas A&M University
Colby Ogden and Brandon Simoneaux of Lamar University
Garret Lindsey and Clayton Godfrey of Stephen F. Austin State University
Easton Ramsey and Chris Zins of the University Central Oklahoma
Justin Gaskin and James Avant of the University of Louisiana-Shreveport
Brandon Koon and Kyle Winstead of the University of Tennessee-Martin
Western Regional Qualifiers
Laj Tripp and Kyle Sittman of Eastern Washington University
John Zeolla and Clayton Lauchland of California Polytechnic State University
Jarid Gabbert and Taylor Throop of Eastern Washington University
Jacob Wall and Ryan Habenitch of the University of Oregon
Alex Klein of Chico State
Zach MacDonald and Zachary Martinez of Oregon State University
Tanner Austin and Ethan Clark of Sacramento State University
Cy Floyd and Travis Opel of Eastern Washington University
Eastern Regional Qualifiers
Austin Neary and Alex Frazier of Western Carolina University
Chelsey Queen and Kristopher Queen of Bethel University
Kelly Johnson and Jeremy Gilley of Appalachian State University
Edward Rude and Matthew Combs of West Virginia University
Zachary Blalock and Mike Corbishley of East Carolina University
Carson Orellana of Strayer University
Jay Emmert and Christian Peake of the University of Tennessee
Grayson Barber and Hiroto Kinoshita of North Carolina State University
Zander Monk and Taylor Thomas of the University of North Carolina-Charlotte
Hunter Hill and Ethan Howell of Appalachian State University
Cole Blythe and John Auten of the University of North Carolina-Charlotte
Jonathan Peck and Devin Wallis of Bryan College
Jake Whitaker and Andrew Helms of the University of North Carolina-Charlotte
John Garrett and Brian Pahl of Bethel University
Zack Bodford and Matthew Hinkle of North Carolina State University
Matt Allen and Zach Youngblood of Tennessee Tech University
Benjamin Freeman and Dillon McGee of Bethel University
Wild Card Qualifiers
Joshua Butts and Justin Rivers of Wallace State Community College-Hanceville
Phillip Germagliotti and Shane Campbell of McKendree University
Jordan Ledbetter and Trent Robinson of McKendree University
Lance Freeman and Seth Brock of Murray State University
Justin Singleton and Zac Bennett of Georgia College & State University
Alec Castonguay and Garret Whitley of Stephen F. Austin State University
JP Kimbrough and Jared Rascoe of the University of Louisiana-Shreveport
Shelby Hutchens and Brian Blades of Stephen F. Austin State University
Darrell Henson and Brent Rome of the University of Louisiana
Dawson Lenz and Evan Horne of the University of North Alabama
Ethan Snyder and Shaw Owens of Eastern Kentucky University
Brian Eaton and Slade Daniel of the University of Louisiana-Monroe
Tyler Rivet and Allyson Marcel of Nicholls State University
2015 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Title Sponsor: Carhartt
2015 Bass Bassmaster College Series Presenting Sponsor: Bass Pro Shops
2015 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Official Sponsors: Toyota, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, GoPro, Humminbird, Mercury, Nitro Boats, Skeeter Boats, Triton Boats, Yamaha
2015 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Supporting Partners: A.R.E. Accessories, Dick Cepek Tires, Livingston Lures, Lowrance, Power-Pole, Rigid Industries, Shimano
About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S. is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the 500,000-member organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), television show (The Bassmasters on ESPN2), social media programs and events. For more than 45 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.
The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Bassmaster Elite Series, Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Open Series presented by Allstate, Old Milwaukee B.A.S.S. Nation events, Carhartt Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Costa Bassmaster High School Series, Toyota Bonus Bucks Bassmaster Team Championship and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by GoPro.
By: Helen Northcutt
