Western Michigan University Wins MLF Wiley X College Faceoff at Detroit River - Major League Fishing
Western Michigan University Wins MLF Wiley X College Faceoff at Detroit River
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Western Michigan University Wins MLF Wiley X College Faceoff at Detroit River

Image for Western Michigan University Wins MLF Wiley X College Faceoff at Detroit River
August 26, 2021 • MLF • Press Releases

TRENTON, Mich. – The Western Michigan University team of Mason Vernia, Kurt Antonowitsch, Jack Simpson and Drake Van Dike, won the Major League Fishing (MLF) Wiley X College Faceoff at the Detroit River in Trenton, Michigan, Saturday. The Broncos bass club boated 44 bass weighing 109 pounds, 8 ounces to win the fourth and final Wiley X College Faceoff Events of the 2021 season and earn the win by a 14-pound, 11-ounce margin over Adrian College.

According to post-tournament reports, the Western Michigan teams started on high percentage areas early, targeting deep rocks & grass with a drop-shot rig. Vernia and Antonowitsch threw a Strike King Baby Z-Too with a 3/8-ounce tungsten drop-shot weight, while Simpson and Van Dike opted to drop-shot a pearl-colored Berkley Powerbait MaxScent Flat Worm, also with a 3/8-ounce weight. Both teams credited their electronics as being crucial in chasing the big schools of smallmouth all day.

The five teams that competed in the Wiley X College Faceoff at the Detroit River in Trenton finished:

  1st: Western Michigan University – Mason Vernia, Kurt Antonowitsch, Jack Simpson and Drake Van Dike, 44 bass, 109-8
  2nd: Adrian College – Austin Tapley, Carter Ball, Aaron Jagdfeld and Jacob Emery, 32 bass, 94-13
  3rd: Campbellsville University – Dalton Smith, Cade Hayford, Dustin Bauer and Morgan Miracle, 26 bass, 74-8
  4th: Radford University – Jackson Norton, Brandon Miskell, Kent Clark, Adam Szalankiewicz, 13 bass, 45-4
  5th: King University – Landon Lawson, Donovan Carson, Hunter McClaskey, 11 bass, 34-12

The Wiley X College Faceoffs are single-day tournaments where competitors fish in an MLF-style catch, weigh, immediate-release team format at each event. The College Faceoff tournaments occur the Saturday following an Abu Garcia College Fishing competition, on the same body of water. The results from the College Fishing tournament the previous day determine the 20 competitors for the Wiley X College Faceoff, with the top two teams (four anglers) from the top five schools in the regular season tournament qualifying to fish in the ten-boat faceoff the following day.

The Wiley X College Faceoff tournament on the Detroit River was the fourth and final Faceoff events for MLF collegiate anglers in 2021. The schedule for the 2022 Wiley X College Faceoff events will be announced this fall.

Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI teams compete in three regular-season qualifying tournaments in one of five conferences – Central, Northern, Southern, Southeastern and Western. Registration is accepted from any eligible college team from across the United States. The top ten teams from each division’s three regular-season tournaments and the top 20 teams from the annual Abu Garcia College Fishing Open advance to the following year’s Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI National Championship. One additional team will automatically qualify for the National Championship for every 10 teams over 200 competing.

For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the MLF Wiley X College Faceoffs on MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.