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Tech’s bass fishing team brings home Governor’s cup
The Tennessee Tech University Bass Team won first place overall in the Tennessee Bass Nation Governors Cup for the first time ever in the April 3 tournament. The award is considered the state championship of collegiate bass fishing.
Tech was one of eight Tennessee colleges or universities that competed in the Tennessee BASS Nation College Tournament. There were also 22 individual teams that competed on single boats. Tech had four individual teams compete.
“Luke Fraley and Harrison Heines placed second as a team of two on a single boat. They received plaques and cash prizes for their second-place finish,” Tristin Hill, academic advisor for the fishing team, said.
The team of Connor Gardner and J.T. Sisk placed eighth and the team of Connor Rogers and Thad Simerly placed 11th.
Tech has had a fishing team for over 10 years.
Simerly, a mechanical engineering major from Morristown, Tennessee, serves as president for the Tech Bass Team. He said his goal is for Tech to give scholarships to kids to come here and fish competitively.
“College fishing is one of the fastest growing sports, and there are endless opportunities offered for careers in the industry, and I feel that Tech needs to be a part of that,” Simerly said.
The team represents a variety of majors across the university from mechanical engineering to wildlife and fisheries. While the primary goal of the club is to allow students to have fun competing in fishing events, safety is a priority and is taken seriously by the team according to Hill.
Rogers, a senior civil engineering major from Henderson, said the state of Tennessee has some of the best college anglers in the country. The Governor's Cup field consisted of some of the nation's best fishing programs with third-ranked Carson-Newman University, seventh-ranked University of Tennessee, and 8th ranked Bryan College.
“Being a part of winning the school's first governor's cup was an amazing feeling, especially since it was a team award. Winning is always great, but when it comes against three teams ranked in the top 10, it is that much more rewarding," Rogers said.
The team is currently ranked 50th in the country out of 198 teams, although they are usually in the top 25 and were in the top 10 in 2017.
Rogers said he hopes winning the first state title for the university will propel the team to finish strong at the national championship tournament to be held on May 26-27 on Pickwick Lake.
“We will have three teams competing in a field of around 200 and it's a double points event, so if we can have two teams finish good, it could spring us way up the national rankings,” Rogers said.
Fraley, a senior environmental science major from South Pittsburg, Tennessee, told of the commitment that was involved in the sport. The team regularly travels several hours on the road to places they have never been, while keeping up with their schoolwork to compete against the best fishing teams across the state and in the country. He is thankful that his professors work with him.
“I hope this [win] will put our program on the map a little more not only around the fishing community but also around the school,” Fraley said. “Most people here do not even know we have a team that travels around the country competing in these huge tournaments of upwards of 250 boats from schools all over.”
The team works to maintain a good reputation through community service such as local lake cleanups and free fishing day for the public. They also help with fish habitat construction in partnership with the Army Corp of Engineers.
“I feel strongly that this extracurricular activity is enriching, but school comes first. Students must keep their grades up to stay on the team,” said Hill, who is in his first season as academic advisor of the fishing team.
The team is sponsored by many local businesses such as Cookeville RV and Marine, Stokes Electric, Dixie Custom Fishing Rods, Tennessee Propeller & Metalworks, Merit, Lew’s Fishing, K9 Fishing Line, Stokes Electric, UEC, EDD Rogers Chevrolet, Gemini Jerseys, Costa, and Ranger Boats.
