The University of Montevallo’s bass fishing team outfished more than 200 other collegiate fishing programs this season and reeled in the national championship for 2020-21.
After taking over the top ranking in November, Montevallo never relinquished its lead, ultimately earning the distinction of Bass Pro Shops School of the Year.
“I am extremely proud of what this team has accomplished. These guys have been so focused since the season started,” said William Crawford, Outdoor Scholars Program director and bass team campus adviser. “We had the goal at the beginning of the year to be the No. 1 team in the country, and since November they have done just that.”
Throughout the year, the Montevallo fishing team competed in tournaments against some of the largest universities in the nation and earned points based on its performance. Following the final tournament of the season at Lake Murray in South Carolina on May 27, UM had amassed the most cumulative points of any team in the nation, taking home the team’s first School of the Year honor.
Montevallo finished second in last season’s School of the Year rankings. This season, the team knocked off two-time defending national champion McKendree University of Lebanon, Illinois, and topped large universities, such as the University of Tennessee, Auburn University and East Carolina University, en route to this year’s national crown.
Here are the full national standings for the 2020-2021 season.
The 2020-2021 University of Montevallo bass fishing team
Justin Barnes, senior, Monroeville
Jarrett Brown, senior, Montevallo
Adam Carroll, senior, Carrollton, Georgia
Tyler Harless, senior, Helena
Miller Spivey, senior, Tyler
Hunter Ward, senior, Rockford
Weston Hollar, junior, Dadeville
Jack Baron, junior, Arnold, Maryland
Cal Culpepper, junior, Hamilton, Georgia
Trey Dickert, junior, Greer, South Carolina
Cade Holcomb, junior, Helena
Bradley Martin, junior, Pace, Florida
Da’Kendrick Patterson, junior, Ramer
Kopeland Rosser, junior, Helena
Elliot Torode, junior, Montgomery
Drew Traffanstedt, junior, Hoover
Mason Waddell, junior, Waverly Hall, Georgia
Cole Dodson, sophomore, Gardendale
Merritt Arnold, sophomore, Warkinsville, Georgia
Jaxson Brown, sophomore, Birmingham
Tyler Cain, sophomore, Bessemer
Josiah Campbell, sophomore, Pelham
Solomon Glenn, sophomore, Lakeville, Minnesota
Wesley Gore, sophomore, Clanton
Trent Jones, sophomore, Thorsby
Ethan King, sophomore, Wilsonville
Grayson Morris, sophomore, Birmingham
Chandler Olivier, sophomore, Maylene
Griffin Phillips, sophomore, Mount Olive
Chance Schwartz, sophomore, Ball Ground, Georgia
James Willoughby, sophomore, Gulf Port, Mississippi
Kyle Bahr, freshman, Brainerd, Minnesota
Aaron Cherry, freshman, Kinsey
Tyler Cory, freshman, Amherst, Wisconsin
Nick Dumke, freshman, Grand Rapids, Minnesota
Tanner English, freshman, Centerville
Easton Fothergill, freshman, Grand Rapids, Minnesota
Brenton Godwin, freshman, Stapleton
Brock Gullixon, freshman, Iola, Wisconsin
Chandler Holt, freshman, Sterrett
Andrew Howell, freshman, Pisgah Forest, North Carolina
Tommy Loper, freshman, Perkinston, Mississippi
Hagan Marlin, freshman, Opelika
Hunter Odom, freshman, Chunchula
Jordan Pennington, freshman, Bessemer
Jacob Pfundt, freshman, Canton, Georgia
Jackson Pontius, freshman, Wilsonville
Scott Sledge, freshman, Greenwood, Indiana
Davian Smith, freshman, Eufaula
Ryan Thomas, freshman, Madison, Georgia
Riley Underwood, freshman, Hoover
(Courtesy of Alabama NewsCenter)
