VANDALIA LAKE, Ill. – The Bearcat Anglers recently hosted their McKendree Invitational at the Vandalia Lake in Illinois on Sunday, May 3rd.
There were seven schools in attendance and 35 boats total, with three of the top ten schools in the ACA School of the Year Race present. The fishing was extremely tough due to several factors. First, the lake rose and fell 5 and ½ feet since Monday, causing it to look like chocolate milk. Combined with a cold front dropping to 40°F and SW winds at 18 miles per hour made for a tough bite.
Sophomores Chase Logue (Oreana, Ill.) and Mason Darling (Highland, Ill.) went to work and put it all together to weigh in a five-bass limit for 17.28, including the second big bass weighing at 5.21 for 1st place.
Junior Parker Welch (Spring Hill, Kan.) and freshman Landon Ingram also put on their thinking caps to put together a great limit weighing 14.10 for 2nd place.
Senior Connor Hall (Jacksonville, Ill.) and sophomore Zach Widelski (Wheaton, Ill.) figured it out and weighed in the only other limit for 12.39 for 3rd place.
Graduate Maxwell Trotter (Decatur, Ill.) and senior Zach Pocos (Norwalk, Ohio) had four bass for 10.24 including the big bass of the tournament weighing at 5.43 for 4th place.
Juniors Angelo Malek (Lake St. Louis, Mo.) and Ryan Foster (Columbia, Ill.) rounded out the top five with four bass weighing 7.98 for 5th place.
Sophomores Liam Bonnett (Pittsfield, Ill.) and Matthew Qualich (Buffalo Grove, Ill.) with three bass for 7.83 for 6th place.
Graduates Kyle Hopping (Lake St. Louis, Mo.) and Jack Stephens (St. Louis, Mo.) had two bass for 6.98 for 7th place.
Sophomore Dawson Hendrix (Lerna, Ill.) and freshman Owen Vaughn put together three solid bass for 6.50 for 8th place.
Senior Kai Barnett (Columbiana, Ala.) and junior Eli Rocha finished with two for 4.80 and snagged 10th place.
Senior Henry Fledddermann (Lake St. Louis, Mo.) and sophomore Evan McCormick had two for 4.26 for 11th place.
15th place Senior Tucker Siminak (Antioch, Ill.) and sophomore Carson Belville (Rushville, Ill.) finished with a 2.21 for 15th place.
"Carla and I were ecstatic with the team's performance today," said Head Coach Jon RInderer. "As always, this team never fails to work hard and do their best even under the toughest conditions. Proud to be a Bearcat today and every day!!"
UP NEXT
The Bearcat Anglers' next event will be at the ACA Bass Pro Shops Championship, which will be held at Pickwick Lake in Florence, Alabama from Thursday, May 21st to Friday, May 22nd.
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