Decatur, Ala. - The duo of Hayes Pate and Garrett Sullivan competed at the MLF Collegiate National Championship on Lake Wheeler on April 9th and 10th. The two qualified for the tournament back in the fall at the MLF Collegiate Regional Event on Lake Chickamauga. Pate and Sullivan finished 15th out of 250 duos to head to the National Championship.
Day one of the championship on Lake Wheeler started on April 9th. Hayes Pate and Garrett Sullivan finished the day with a bag limit of five bass that weighed in at 11 pounds and two ounces. This would take them to Day Two sitting in 95th place. The two would have to bring in a much more hefty bag to finish top ten and head to Day Three.
" I was proud of them on their Day 2 plan. Needing a giant bag of bass to move up in the top 10, the guys scrapped practice and changed things up on day 2. They ran to the north dam and fished current. Things didn't pan out there so they fished new areas. I'm sure they could have fished the same areas they did on day one and caught 11-14 pounds but they knew they needed a 25lb bag of bass to have a chance at top 10 and get to fish day 3." said Coach John Pollard.
With Day Two of the championship over, the duo brought back three bass to weigh in at six pounds and three ounces. They pulled in a total of 17 pounds and five ounces across both days to come in 112th place.
The duo will compete in the Bassmaster Collegiate National Championship in July at Lake Cherokee, Tenn. Hayes and Garrett both said they're disappointed but excited to have a chance for redemption.
The Faulkner teams of Hayes Pate and Garrett Sullivan and Connor Green and Peter West will compete at Lake Cherokee in Tennessee July 10th-12th.
The next tournament for the Faulkner Anglers takes place on April 13th at Lake Point State Park - Eufaula, Ala. for the Southern Collegiate BASS Open Series State Championship. These Eagles will look to earn a spot in the Bassmaster collegiate National Championship tournament, Parker McKee/Hayes Finch, Grant McCraney/Skyler Stevens, Connor Green/Peter West and Matthew Bennett (fishing solo)
