13th Place – University of Alabama

SAN ANTONIO, TX (5/6/2020) – In today’s feature, we will be highlighting a former winner of the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia.  The University of Alabama won the School of the Year title in 2016, and they are looking to finish the 2019-2020 season in the highest spot possible.  This season, the anglers from Tuscaloosa are in 13th place with 6,445 points.

“It means a lot.  It’s awesome to see our team being successful this year, as we have in the past.  We’re really proud of how our guys have competed this year,” said Jon Kilpatrick, a junior at Alabama.

The University of Alabama knows a thing or two about winning at the highest level in a given sport.  From college football to collegiate bass fishing, the Crimson Tide know how to fill up a trophy case.  Alabama is one of the most storied teams in the history of college fishing, and they have continued that tradition through the 2019-2020 season.

At the 2019 AFTCO Collegiate Bass Open on Lake Dardanelle, several team members made the trek to Russellville, AR to gain ground in the SOY race.  They were fortunate enough to do just that!  Jared Turnbloom & Jake Turnbloom claimed third place, earning valuable prizes and points.  The team has managed to ride this momentum to a Top 15 ranking as we near the start of the final event of the season.

“We can’t wait for the Championship at Pickwick.  We’re looking forward to seeing everyone and getting back to the sport we love after the break,” Kilpatrick added.

The 2020 BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops will be the final event of the 2020 season to count towards this season’s School of the Year race.  Pickwick Lake will be the playing field for this National Championship event.  Tuscaloosa is roughly 125 miles from the host city for the tournament.  The University of Alabama will be looking to put the home-state advantage to good use in just a few weeks.