SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – The McKendree University bass fishing team competed in their first qualifier of the season here last Saturday, August 20 at Lake Springfield.
 
Sophomore Lane Stephens (Talala, Okla./Oologah) led the way for the Bearcats. After fishing without a keeper for the first four hours of the competition, Stephens landed the five-fish limit and recorded 10.73 pounds for the win.
 
Sophomore Harmon Marien (Eagle River, Wis./Northland Pines) clinched the runner-up spot, reeling in four fish for 10.11 pounds. Marien also posted the largest catch of the day at 4.14 pounds.
 
Rounding out the top five were Jack Stephens (St. Louis, Mo./Lindbergh) with three bass for 10.08 pounds, freshman Tucker Siminak (Antioch, Ill./Antioch) with four bass for 9.11 pounds, and Colsyn Head (Poland, Ind./Owen Valley) with four bass for 8.95 pounds.
 
Below are the results for the remainder of the participants:
 
6th – junior Tomas Matual (Chicago, Ill./Nazareth Academy) – 7.74 pounds 
7th – freshman Connor Hall (Jacksonville, Ill./Jacksonville) – 7.15 pounds 
8th – junior Grant Olsen (Gardner, Ill./Gardner South Wilmington) – 6.91 pounds 
9th – sophomore Evan Sutton (Highland, Ill./Highland) – 6.07 pounds 
10th – freshman Ethan Fields (Breese, Ill./Mater Dei) – 5.81 pounds 
11th – fifth year senior Trey Schroeder (Crestwood, Mo./Lindbergh) – 5.20 pounds 
12th – freshman Gage Blimling (Jacksonville, Ill./Jacksonville) – 5.06 pounds 
13th – sophomore Jaxson Freeman (Loda, Ill./Rantoul) – 5.01 pounds 
14th – sophomore Maxwell Trotter (Decatur, Ill./St. Teresa) – 4.23 pounds 
15th – senior Trey Budach (Morris, Ill./Morris) – 3.87 pounds 
16th – junior Tristan Barrett (Benton, Ky./Marshall County) – 3.08 pounds 
17th – freshman Zach Pocos (Norwalk, Ohio/St. Paul) – 2.68 pounds 
18th – junior Kurt Litteken (Lebanon, Ill./Wesclin) – 2.40 pounds 
19th – freshman Kai Barnett (Columbiana, Ala./Shelby County) – 2.38 pounds 
20th – junior Jason Qualich (Buffalo Grove, Ill./Adlai E. Stevenson) – 2.13 pounds
21st – freshman August Kukis (Napterville, Ill./Naperville Central) – 2.05 pounds 
22nd – senior Nick Holtgrave (Trenton, Ill./Wesclin) – 2.00 pounds 

The Bearcats continue their season with another qualifier on Saturday, August 27 followed by the Strike King Bassmaster College Series National Championship on September 2 in Georgetown, S.C.