Paul Smith’s College students win bass fishing championship

Paul Smith’s College’s Jon Herrman and Taylor West netted first place in the New York – The Bass Federation’s Collegiate Cup Championship on Sunday, Oct. 1 on Lake Champlain.

With the win, the two qualified to represent New York in The Bass Federation Collegiate Nationals in 2018.

The students’ five-fish, 20.41-pound haul made for a comfortable margin of victory, besting the 13.5 pounds taken by second-place finisher SUNY ESF. They also reeled in the largest bass of the tournament weighing in at 4.28 pounds.

Two other Paul Smith’s fishermen, Bob Visicaro and Justin Rozema, finished sixth out of the 17 competing boats from around the state.

The Paul Smith’s College bass fishing team is only a year-and-a-half old, with Herrman and West helping set the idea in motion in April 2016. They participated in their first tournament just three months later.

“Having a collegiate bass fishing team at Paul Smith’s is merely an extension of our academic offerings and the natural passions of so many of our students,” said athletic director Jim Tucker. “With the relatively recent proliferation of bass tournaments regionally and nationally, as well as knowing that several other colleges and universities in the northeast were finding great success with their bass fishing teams, this seemed like a no brainer for Paul Smith’s.”

About Paul Smith’s College
At Paul Smith’s College, it’s about the experience. We are the only four-year institution of higher education in the Adirondacks. Our programs – in fields including hospitality, culinary arts, forestry, natural resources, entrepreneurship and the sciences – draw on industries and resources available in our own backyard while preparing students for successful careers anywhere. For more information, visit paulsmiths.edu.