College Championship Field Set
58 teams to square off on Lake Keowee come spring
Now that the 2015 FLW College Fishing Conference Championships are complete, 58 teams have earned the opportunity to fish in the 2016 FLW College Fishing National Championship.
Hosted by the Mountain Lakes Convention and Visitors Bureau on Lake Keowee in Seneca, S.C., the National Championship will take place March 17-19. Teams will compete for the most prestigious title in collegiate bass fishing along with the top prize of a Ranger Z175 bass boat.
The anglers on the winning National Championship team will also square off in a fish-off against one another, with the winner earning an opportunity to compete in the 2016 Forrest Wood Cup as a boater.
Qualification
Teams earned their spots in the National Championship by finishing in the top 10 at the College Fishing Open or one of five Conference Championship events in 2015.
FLW requires that a team weigh at least one keeper in a tournament in order to place. At the Central Conference Championship on Lake Carlyle, only eight teams weighed in at least one keeper, so only those eight teams earned National Championship bids.
Also, Zachary Pickle and Drew Porto of the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville double-qualified via the College Fishing Open and the Southern Conference Championship. FLW extended the 10th qualifying spot at the Southern Conference Championship to the 11th-place team of John Ledet and Justin Cooper from Northwestern State University.
The Field
The 58 collegiate contenders, listed by qualifying route:
FLW College Fishing Open
University of Arkansas-Fayetteville – Zachary Pickle and Drew Porto
University of Alabama – Konnor Kennedy and Ethan Fleck
University of Illinois – Qiurun Chen and Luke Stoner
Northwest Missouri State University – Andrew Nordbye and Adam Almohtadi
Bethel University – Joseph Huggins and Ty Dyer
SIU-Edwardsville – Dalton Wesley and Zach Hartnagel
Bethel University – Grant Rutter and Kristopher Queen
Bethel University – Alec Piekarski and Kyler Chelminiak
UT-Chattanooga – Patrick Hoskins and Dillon Falardeau
Iowa State University – Zac Beek and Zachary Hartley
Central Conference
Winona State University – Wyatt Stout and Cade Laufenberg
Illinois State University – Bryce Wegman and Taylor Umland
Southern Illinois University – Steve Seiler and Kyle Wagner
Kansas State University – Kyle Alsop and Taylor Bivins
Kansas State University – Quinn Fowler and Dylan McKee
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point – Samuel Sobieck and Connor Graham
University of Wisconsin-Platteville – Grant Ehlenfeldt and Brett Stanek
Kansas State University – Lance Maldonado and Ethan Dhuyvetter
Northern Conference
Ramapo College – Andrew Annuzzi and Andrew Zapf
Christopher Newport University – Travis Riley and Seth Winslow
Pennsylvania State University – Matt Bakewell and Tyler Smith
University of Akron – Anthony Villalba and Robert Webber
Adrian College – Jeff Morton and Nickolas Marsh
Fairmont State University – Landon Paul and Ryan Houser
Adrian College – Jarrett Martin and Jacob Bayer
Shenandoah University – Thomas Arens and Billy Arens
West Virginia University – Jacob Marshall and Matthew Combs
Lake Superior State University – Hunter Scharphorn and Jake Dorony
Southeastern Conference
Daytona State College – James Oltorik and Thomas Oltorik
Clemson University – Ross Burns and Isaac Nesbitt
Georgia Highlands College – Eric Fisher and Jake Akin
University of North Alabama – Dawson Lenz and Andrew Tate
Auburn University – Mitchell Jennings and Timmy Ward
Gadsden State Community College – Josh Oliver and Colby Smith
Western Carolina University – Tyler Thomasson and Josh Cannon
Auburn University – Ethan Hayes and Garrett Roberts
University of South Carolina – Chris Blanchette and Hampton Anderson
University of Alabama-Birmingham – Matthew Oliver and Justin Woodruff
Southern Conference
Dallas Baptist University – Zackery Hines and Reed Foster
University of Central Oklahoma– Brock Enmeier and Colten Hutson
Stephen F. Austin State University – Shelby Hutchens and Brian Blades
Southeastern Oklahoma State University – Dwight Camp and Jonathan Furlong
Colorado Mesa University – Josh Worth and Kennedy Kinkade
Texas A&M University – Josh Bensema and Matthew McArdle
Tarleton State University – Jacob Beyer and Dakota Ebare
University of Oklahoma – Charles Vang and Landon Dixon
Henderson State University – Michael Gross and Cobey Wingfield
Northwestern State University – John Ledet and Justin Cooper
Western Conference
California State University-Chico – Travis Bounds and Andrew Loberg
California Polytechnic State University – Johan Eide and Colton Farquer
Oregon State University – Zach MacDonald and Zach Martinez
California State University-Chico – Chas Brannon and Michael Woods
Eastern Washington University – Cy Floyd and Travis Opel
University of Oregon – Jacob Wall and Dalton Taylor
San Jose State University – Joey Fortina and Adam McAndrews
Sonoma State University – Jake Banuelos and Brent Nelson
Sacramento State University – Tanner Austin and Ethan Clark
Humboldt State University – Tristan Merlaud and Rudy Directo