SAVANNAH, Tenn. – The Bethel University Bass Team won the Major League Fishing Wiley X Face off Championship held on Pickwick Lake Saturday.
The four-man team consisted of Bethel Anglers, Levi Mullins, Matthew Cummings, Sean O’Brien, and Joseph Senn.
All four Bethel Anglers qualified by being the top two boats from the day one competition held on Pickwick Lake. The Wiley X Face Off competition is held by Major League Fishing and is a true team format which allows the total weight of each team’s two boats to count their top five bass for a total combined score.
Bethel’s team of Mullins and Cummings weighed in a five bass limit for a total weight of just over 17 pounds while teammates O’Brien and Senn weighed four bass for a weight of 14 pounds.
The combined weight from the two Bethel teams gave the squad a total weight of just over 31 pounds for their nine fish.
O’Brien’s five pound largemouth bass anchored Bethel’s win as the big fish for the tournament.
Bethel competed and beat Auburn, Montevallo, Lander, and Kentucky Christian for the win.
“I am so proud of our guys,” said Coach Garry Mason of Springville. “This is the second big win for Bethel for the 2022 season on the Major League Fishing trail. This is a huge win for our team and our university,” said Mason.
Over 224 teams completed on day one with only ten boats qualifying to move into the Wiley X Face Off Championship. Congratulations to all of the Bethel University Bass Team on a huge win.
Photo: Team members with Coach Garry Mason, center.