A team of three Clarkson University Bass anglers claimed victory in a first-of-its-kind collegiate bass fishing tournament hosted by the University at Buffalo in Sodus Bay on Lake Ontario.
David Crandall ‘20, Nate Perrotta ‘20, and Dante Piriano ’21 took first place in the University at Buffalo 2019 College Open, while a second Clarkson team comprised of Hunter Stone ‘21 and Jarrett Phinney ’22 finished seventh in the competition.
Crandall, vice president of Clarkson’s Bass Fishing club, said the tournament was a trial run of a concept for a New York collegiate tournament trail.
“This tournament was a resounding success for the club,” Crandall said. “Not only were we able to compete and win a tournament on a body of water that none of the teams had fished before, but we were involved with the creation of this new tournament trail.”
Crandall said the upcoming season will be important for the club as it moves into its first season without president and founder, Ben Seaman ’18.
“This season is going to be very telling for our club. As our founder and President Ben Seamen has graduated and is moving out into the real world, we find ourselves in a major transitional period,” Crandall said. “This will be the first succession of power that the club has gone through, and we are currently implementing new policies into our club’s constitution to make this process more seamless in the future.”
Seaman and Piraino finished seventh in the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Northeast Regional on the St. Lawrence River in June and earned a spot in the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series National Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops from Aug. 1 to 3 on Chickamauga Lake in Tennessee.
Crandall said the club’s recent successes are a product of their hard work and preparation, and it has resulted in more attention from others at Clarkson, the North Country community and even on a national scale. Crandall said the club has ambitious plans moving forward.
“The spotlight is still on us, but we need to strike while the iron is hot and continue this success. This fall, we have a busy tournament schedule where we are hoping to bring as many anglers as possible out on the water and continue representing our club well,” Crandall said. “Throughout the winter, we will be planning various seminars to continue to inspire the education of our anglers, as well as hosting community events to promote the sport of fishing.”
For updates and information about the Clarkson Bass Fishing Club, follow them on Instagram, @clarksonubassfishing.
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