Bass Fishing 8/5/2019 9:44:00 AM CU Athletics

Bass Fishing competes in third Carhartt Bassmaster College Series National Championship

DAYTON, Tenn. — After stellar practice days on Lake Chickamauga, Campbellsville University Bass Fishing couldn't put together the bites they needed and all three boats missed the cut at the 2019 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series National Championship presented by Bass Pro
Shops.

Dalton Smith and Wil Rigdon led the Tigers after day one with five fish for 14 pounds and five ounces – just under 10 pounds from the lead. But both fell off the pace and didn't weight a fish on Day 2 to finish in 86^thplace.

Bradley Dunagan had a major obstacle in his way by having to fish by himself but Dunagan ended up leading CU. He caught four fish for 12 pounds and 11 ounces on Day 1 but finished with 15-1 total to finish in 82^nd.

Just behind him was Grant Adams and Adam Carman. This Tiger duo sat in 88^thplace after Day 1 with five pounds 13 ounces. The finished with two fish on Day 2 of the tournament but had a dead fish penalty and finished with just 14 pounds 15 ounces.

The championship appearance for CU is the third in school history and the best finish in the finals was in 2017-18 with Nick Ratliff and Bradley Dunagan finishing runner-up.

Carter McNeil and Cole Floyd of Bethel University were stuck in second place for the first two days but during the final round, they seized the spotlight and scored a come-from-behind victory on Lake Chickamauga to earn their first title.

McNeil and Floyd caught a five-bass limit Saturday that weighed 16 pounds, 3 ounces. That was their lightest bag of the week by nearly 5 pounds, but it gave them a 59-11 total, which was enough to sneak past Bryan College's Cole Sands and Conner Dimauro for the title.

Sands and Dimauro led the first two days before slipping into second place with weights of 14-4 Saturday and 58-8 for the tournament.

McNeil and Floyd, who won a regular-season event on Arkansas' Bull Shoals Lake earlier this year, collected $5,000 for the Bethel fishing team with the victory at Chickamauga, including $2,500 from B.A.S.S. and $2,500 from Carhartt. The Top 12 teams split a total purse of $24,000.

The Top 4 teams in the championship (eight anglers in all) advanced to the Bassmaster College Classic Bracket event, which will be held Aug. 27-29 at Watts Bar Lake, also in Tennessee. They will compete individually in a head-to-head format with a berth in the 2020 Bassmaster Classic at Alabama's Lake Guntersville going to the winning angler.

Michigan State angler Riley Welch, who competed alone in the championship, won the Carhartt Big Bass Award and a $500 gift card for the 9-14 lunker he caught Friday. Sands and Dimauro's 24-9 limit Thursday earned them the Bass Pro Big Bag Award and a $250 gift certificate.

A total of 116 teams from 62 schools competed in the Championship. Bryan College, the City of Dayton and Fish Dayton hosted the event.

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Players Mentioned

Grant Adams: Senior; Campbellsville, Ky.

Adam Carman: Senior; Berea, Ky.

Bradley Dunagan: Sophomore; Monticello, Ky.

Nick Ratliff: Senior; Vine Grove, Ky.

Dalton Smith: Sophomore; Taylorsville, Ky.

Wil Rigdon: Freshman; Shepherdsville, ky.

Players Mentioned

Grant Adams
: Senior; Campbellsville, Ky.

Adam Carman
: Senior; Berea, Ky.

Bradley Dunagan
: Sophomore; Monticello, Ky.

Nick Ratliff
: Senior; Vine Grove, Ky.

Dalton Smith
: Sophomore; Taylorsville, Ky.

Wil Rigdon
: Freshman; Shepherdsville, ky.