SAN ANTONIO, Texas – The Collegiate Bass Fishing Series has revealed its final standings for the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia on Thursday, June 5th for the 2024-25 season, as the McKendree Anglers were placed 4th in the entire nation.
A total of 154 schools made the final rankings, with only a small few ending up higher than the Bearcats' total accumulated 34,575 points. This marks the eighth consecutive year that the team has finished in the top five within the School of the Year competition, and the eleventh year in a row that they have made the top eight.
The competition includes the team's performances in Invitationals, ACA, Bassmaster, and Major League Fishing tournaments, in which McKendree placed among the best in all events.
This year saw the Anglers place eighth in the Bassmaster National Championship, third in the MLF National Championship, and 25th in the ACA Championship. They placed first, second, and third in the Illinois State Championship, and a total of nineteen times that the team finished in the top twenty-five in the major events. In the smaller Invitational events, they had teams finish twenty times in the top ten.
To top it off, graduate student Harmon Marien (Eagle River, Wis.) was selected as the program's first-ever ACA All-American out of over six hundred anglers from across the country.
Head Bass Fishing Coach Jon Rinderer could not be happier for his group:
"What an incredible list of accomplishments! It should be easy to see why these guys are such a fantastic group for Carla and I to help as we travel all over the country. They definitely make every day a great day to be a Bearcat, and we are so blessed to have them all as part of our school and team!"
Point System Description
Teams competing on behalf of their university/college bass fishing club in a variety of collegiate fishing events will earn points that accumulate in the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia race based upon the ACA Points System. This points system is subject to change based on schedule changes and additions, and the ACA is the final determination on any club/team being awarded points at any event.
UP NEXT
Eight McKendree Angler teams are currently qualified for the upcoming Bassmaster National Championship on Lake Cherokee, Texas, which will be held in July. This Championship will be the first scoring event for the 2025-26 School of the Year Competition.
With one MLF qualifier left, they have already qualified seven boats for the 2026 MLF National Championship.
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