McKendree bass fishing team wins School Of The Year for second straight season
The McKendree University bass fishing team finished the 2019-20 season just like they did the 2018-19 season. On top.
On June 10-11, the Bearcats anglers traveled to Pickwick Lake, Alabama, and claimed the School of the Year title at the 206-boat Bass Pro Collegiate National Championship. The team finished the event strong with two boats in the top 20, one in 18th and the other in ninth, allowing McKendree to claim its second straight Association of Collegiate Anglers School Of The Year championship.
Coach Jon Rinderer’s team got out on the water holding a 1,020 point lead and finished off their amazing season by winning the championship by 1,000 points.
Winning the School Of The Year championship twice is extremely special for the Bearcats since McKendree is just the second program to do it in the 15-year history of the sport of collegiate fishing.
“It means the world to us,” said Rinderer, also the bass fishing coach at Highland High School. “Our goal when we started the program seven years ago was to win the most coveted title in collegiate bass fishing.
“We came close several years, and last year we won. And, we won again this year, so it’s like a goal coming true for us. It’s the summation of an entire year (of fishing). One team ends up doing the best, and we were the best.”
“To win this title back to back is an incredible accomplishment and a testament to the strength of the McKendree bass fishing program.”
McKendree moved into first place for the School of the Year standings after their performance at the Texas Lunker Challenge, FLW National Championship and the Bassmaster Tour Event. They had fourth place and 28th place finishes and collected 1,700 points at the Texas Lunker Challenge. The Bearcats collected an additional 930 points for their eighth place finish at the FLW National Championship.
They also earned 970 points for their fourth and eight place finishes at the Bassmaster National Championship. Another huge win for the team included the 750 points collected from the team’s first-place finish at the Bassmaster Tour Event.
After the first day of competition in the 2020 ACA/ Boat US Collegiate Bass Fishing National Championship, two McKendree teams stood in the top-20 and maintained their position on day two. Trevor McKinney (Benton, Illinois/Benton High School) and Blake Jackson (Carterville, Illinois/Carterville High School) took ninth place with a total weigh-in of 31.98 pounds. Bailey Bleser (Burlington, Wisconsin/Catholic Central High School) and Nate Doty (Decatur, Illinois/Sangamon Valley) High School placed 18th overall with a 28.72-pound total weigh-in.
“For us to be from Central Illinois and go all the way to Alabama and finish it off strong on that lake, it’s really quite a feat and something in which to be proud,” Rinderer said.
McKendree thrives despite pandemic
Like other college programs, McKendree had its season shortened by COVID-19. The Bearcats had five events postponed due to the pandemic this spring.
Even with the shortened season, the Bearcats excelled in the water, as they had boats finish in the top-10 36 times with 17 of those being top-five finishes, and four first-place finishes.
Last May, McKendree won the 2019 School of the Year Championship by placing two teams in the top 11 at the ACA/Boat US Collegiate Bass Fishing National Championship. The Bearcats won last year’s title by 985 points.
McKendree will have about a seven-week break and then will get the 2020-21 season started with a tournament in LaCrosse, Wisconsin, in August.