University of Montevallo fishing team named School of the Year

The Montevallo fishing team is no stranger to taking home the gold. In fact, they were just named School of the Year at Bass Pro Shop’s Bass Fishing Championship. Keep reading for all the details on this team’s win.

Third consecutive title

At the 2023 BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship event May 25-26, The University of Montevallo became the first school to earn three consecutive Bass Pro Shops’ School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia titles. The season-ending event was held on Lake Hartwell in South Carolina with 200 boats and anglers from across the country competing.

According to a press release from the University of Montevallo, the Falcons earned the most cumulative points throughout the season of any team in the nation for the third year in a row.

Montevallo head coach William Crawford expressed pride in his team.

“The UM fishing team has worked very hard over the past few years to achieve this unprecedented success. We’re so proud of our Falcons and they’re just getting started.”

William Crawford, head coach, University of Montevallo fishing team

The Montevallo fishing team is part of the President’s Outdoor Scholars Program, which is dedicated to conservation and the exploration of careers in outdoor sports and related fields.

Stand-out performances

Anglers Jacob Pfundt and James Willoughby led the Falcons in the Bass Fishing Championship with a fourth-place finish after reeling in 10 bass weighing in at 31.94 pounds in the two-day event, which included a 5.13 bass weighing in as the biggest catch on day two.

Crawford is not the only one proud of this team. University President John Stewart III noted his gratitude in a statement for those on the fishing team after their consecutive national accomplishments.

“The students on the fishing team are outstanding ambassadors for the University of Montevallo. We’re extremely proud of our students and coaches who have helped Montevallo set the standard in collegiate bass fishing.”

Dr. John W. Stewart III, president, University of Montevallo

2022-2023 team members are:

• Briggs Alavezos
• Jack Alexander
• Merritt Arnold
• Will Ayscue
• Jack Baron
• Brennan Berglund
• Brandon Berry
• Hunter Bright
• Beau Browning
• Tyler Cain
• Aaron Cherry
• Hudson Choquette
• Tyler Cory
• Cal Culpepper
• Luke Davis
• Cole Dodson
• Miller Dowling
• Nick Dumke
• Cole Edwards
• Blair Erickson
• River Eubanks
• Easton Fothergill
• Trent Gilmore
• Solomon Glenn
• Max Godsin
• Brenton Godwin
• Peyton Harris
• Dalton Head
• Will Holloway
• Andrew Howell
• Tommy Loper
• Parker O’Bryan
• Hunter Odom
• Chandler Olivier
• Andrew Oswalt
• Brooks Parker
• DK Patterson
• Jordan Pennington
• Jacob Pfundt
• Jackson Pontius
• Brody Robison
• Gavin Schmitz
• Chance Schwartz
• Tommy Sendek
• Scott Sledge
• Davian Smith
• Peyton Sorrow
• Drake Sturgill
• Jacob Swanson
• Ryan Thomas
• Andrew Thompson
• Jordan Turner
• Colton White
• James Willoughby
• Michael Witherup
• Wyatt Wood
• Charlie Wright
• Owen Zugel

You can find a complete list of the School of the Year standings here. We may be partial to numbers one, two and six.

Want to see Montevallo take home School of the Year four years in a row? So do we. The 2024 BoatUS Bass Fishing Championship will be held on May 23-24 on Pickwick Lake in Florence, Alabama.

Get more stories like this when you follow Bham Now on Instagram + Facebook, and sign up for our free newsletter.