Alexandria College Fishing Team Competes at Santee Cooper in Bassmaster College Series

The field was stacked with talent, featuring 235 college teams from across the country, all aiming to earn a coveted spot in the national championship. "These anglers are the best of the best, so to qualify, everything has to work out just right," said Fishing Coach Joe Scegura.

Originally scheduled as a two‑day tournament, the event was shortened to a one‑day shootout after high winds forced the cancellation of day one. The change raised the pressure dramatically, leaving anglers with little room for error.

Alexandria College sent six of its top anglers to compete. They were allowed three days of prefishing, during which they developed a solid game plan and felt confident heading into competition day.

In Bassmaster competition, each team may weigh in their top five fish, with qualifying weights typically ranging between 16 and 20 pounds. While the Alexandria anglers believed they could reach at least 15 pounds, they also knew Santee Cooper's reputation for producing massive stringers. "The lake has produced 25 to 30‑pound bags in the past, so we knew we would have to give it everything we had and more," Scegura said.

Tournament day on April 9 brought challenging conditions. Strong morning winds made for a rough nearly 40‑mile run across the lake to their first fishing spots. Despite the difficult water, all Alexandria boats arrived safely with their gear intact.

Once fishing began, the results came quickly. Two Alexandria teams filled their five‑fish limits early, giving them the rest of the day to focus on upgrading their catch. Throughout the afternoon, the anglers made several key improvements, but landing the tournament‑changing big bites, fish weighing over five pounds, proved elusive.

Even so, the team met and exceeded its primary goal. Alexandria College's top boat finished the day with an impressive 18 pounds, 6 ounces. While that weight would typically be enough to qualify at many venues, the strong overall field at Santee Cooper placed the team 77th overall.

The top Alexandria College team at the event was Ryan Wiener and Mason Qualey, who finished ahead of more than 150 competing teams.

Despite narrowly missing qualification, the team's performance was a strong showing against elite competition and provided valuable experience as the program continues to grow at the national level.