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FROM STAFF REPORTS

MONTEVALLO – The University of Montevallo has set a new record of winning four consecutive Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia titles following the season-ending 2024 Bass Pro Shops Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship event May 23-24 at Pickwick Lake in Florence, Alabama.

Approximately 200 teams of the top collegiate anglers from across the country competed for two days in hopes of claiming the title, but the Falcons once again earned School of the Year status for having accumulated the most cumulative points throughout the season of any team in the nation for the fourth year in a row. The team finished the season with a total of 40,305 points, almost 4,000 points ahead of second place.

“It’s a great honor to win the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year title,” said William Crawford, head fishing coach and director of UM’s Outdoor Scholars Program. “I’m really happy for our team. It’s a lot of hard work to not just win a title, but to do it for four straight years. It speaks volumes to the dedication and commitment that our guys have to be the best.”

The School of the Year title capped another banner year for the fishing team, as multiple UM anglers have made history this season. Easton Fothergill finished 16th overall out of 56 anglers while competing against professionals in the Bassmaster Classic in Tulsa, Oklahoma in March. He earned his spot in the Bassmaster Classic after being part of the Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops Team of the Year with partner Nick Dumke and winning the College Classic Bracket presented by Lew’s in September 2023 shortly after recovering from brain surgery.

Dalton Head became the first ever amateur angler to compete in the REDCREST championship event on the Major League Fishing circuit, and was in second place among a field of 50 anglers following the first day of competition before finishing in 12th place in the final standings at the three-day event at nearby Lay Lake. Teammates Tyler Cory and Scott Sledge claimed the title at the Strike King Bassmaster College Classic presented by Bass Pro Shops.

“The University of Montevallo is extremely proud of the fishing team for earning this honor for the fourth consecutive year,” said UM President Dr. John W. Stewart III. “We are very fortunate to be represented by our dedicated and passionate students in the collegiate bass fishing world, and we are thankful to have Director William Crawford and our Outdoor Scholars Program coaches leading them.”

The Falcons will compete for a fifth consecutive Bass Pro Shops School of the Year title, which will be awarded following the Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops May 22-23, 2025 at Lake Hartwell in Anderson, South Carolina.