Clarkson University Competitive Bass Fishing Club Places First and Second at B.A.S.S. College State Championships on Lake Champlain

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POTSDAM, NY (06/13/2018) One of the newest clubs at Clarkson University is experiencing early success. Two teams of Clarkson University Competitive Bass Fishing Club members placed first and second in the B.A.S.S. College State Championships on Lake Champlain on June 10.

Civil Engineering major Donald Duprey '18 and Electrical Engineering major Brad Hill '18 placed first in the tournament with a total bag weight of 14.34 lbs. while Engineering & Management major Ben Seaman '19 and Environmental Science and Policy major Tyler Robinson '19 finished in second, just three-tenths of a pound behind their fellow Clarkson competitors.

With the win, Duprey and Hill were offered a chance to attend the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series National Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops in Tahlequah, OK from July 19 to 21. The first place team is unable to attend the national tournament, but Seaman and Robinson have accepted an invitation to fish in the tournament.

Both Hill and Duprey said preparation was key in their victory on Lake Champlain as the duo traveled to the lake multiple times before the tournament to strategize.

Duprey said he is happy to be part of continuing success at Clarkson, both in and out of the classroom. Hill hopes the club's early promise inspires future students.

"To have such quick success is amazing for a club that hasn't been around for a whole year," he said. "With this success, it helps shine a light on our club for some of those students that didn't know we existed. It can help unite more of our student body around the sport we love."

The Clarkson University Bass Fishing Club was founded in October 2017 and carries 33 total members.

Seaman, the founder, and president of the club said it has been a rewarding experience to see his passion for fishing provide a competitive platform for others.

"It was my goal when starting this club to just be able to go to tournaments and fish," Seaman said. "Once I saw the interest that some of the students had at Clarkson, I knew it was going to be bigger than I imagined. To see the passion for fishing that these students have is amazing."

Clarkson University educates the leaders of the global economy. One in five alumni already leads as an owner, CEO, VP or equivalent senior executive of a company. With its main campus located in Potsdam, N.Y., and additional graduate program and research facilities in the Capital Region and Beacon, New York, Clarkson is a nationally recognized research university with signature areas of academic excellence and research directed toward the world's pressing issues. Through more than 50 rigorous programs of study in engineering, business, arts, education, sciences and the health professions, the entire learning-living community spans boundaries across disciplines, nations, and cultures to build powers of observation, challenge the status quo and connect discovery and innovation with enterprise.