Wallace State anglers Josh Butts, Justin Rivers finish in middle of pack at Carhartt Bassmaster College Series National Championship
HANCEVILLE, ALA. – Wallace State anglers Josh Butts and Justin Rivers finished 38th among 81 teams at the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series National Championship in Stevens Point, Wis., over the weekend.
Butts and Rivers made the second national championship appearance for Wallace State’s BASS fishing club in three years. They qualified for nationals after becoming the first Wallace State duo to claim a Bassmasters College World Series Wild Card championship for the college. They won the title in early June on Lake Dover in Tennessee.
Rivers and Butts finished 38th among a talented field on Lake DuBay in Wisconsin despite experiencing boat problems on the opening day of the national tournament. A lower unit on the boat motor malfunctioned halfway through the morning and hindered them from catching any fish.
They regrouped and collected two bass weighing 3 pounds, 10 ounces on the second day, placing them 38th overall. Teams were restricted daily to a three-bass limit.
“It was good experience for both of us. We had some mechanical problems and that hurt, but it seemed like every team struggled in the tournament,” said Butts, a freshman welding student who will return to the team next season. “Overall, just making it to the national championship was the best part. It was more than Justin and I could have asked for when we first met each other and began to fish together. I feel we went out with a bang. We finished 38th in the nation and that’s good considering there were hundreds of teams that didn’t even qualify.”
Rivers is an Industrial Electronics student.
Wallace State placed better than the University of Central Florida, UNA, Valdosta State, Oregon, Auburn, Tennessee and Mississippi State, among others.
Texas A&M finished first and the University of Minnesota was runner-up.
Wallace State’s BASS club is sponsored by Joe Hendrix, the college’s Industrial Electronics Department Head and co-sponsored by Jeremy Smith, the Diesel Technology Department Head.
Wallace State’s BASS club began during the spring 2013 semester.
Any current or incoming Wallace State student who is interested in joining the club, can contact Hendrix at 256.352.8154 or at joe.hendrix@wallacestate.edu. Club membership is open to all Wallace State students, but tournament participants must be full-time Wallace State students in order to compete.
The club will conduct an organizational meeting early in the fall semester.
For more information about Wallace State, visit wallacestate.edu.
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Russell Moore
Staff Writer
Wallace State Community College
P.O. Box 2000, Hanceville, AL 35077
1-866-350-9722 256-352-8443 direct
Visit us online at www.wallacestate.edu
Kristen Holmes
Communications & Marketing Director, and
Administrator, The Evelyn Burrow Museum
Wallace State Community College
801 Main Street NW | Hanceville, AL 35077
E-mail: kristen.holmes@wallacestate.edu
Office: 256.352.8118 | Cell: 256.339.2519 | Toll Free: 866.350.9722