FLORENCE, Ala. — The Catawba Valley Community College bass fishing team is competing this week at the 2022 BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing championship in Alabama.

The two-day tournament, which takes place on both Pickwick and Wilson lakes, is the longest consecutive running collegiate national championship tournament for bass fishing.

Ten members of the Red Hawk bass fishing team are participating in the tournament, including Hunter Keller, Carson Eckard, Spencer Black, Caleb Lonca, Justin Eggers, Lane Bailey, Wes Smith, Grant Harris, Nathan Smith and Caleb Mackey.

"We are excited to have five Red Hawk teams qualify for the ACA National Championship," said Catawba Valley head bass fishing coach Angela Mayo. "The entire team has worked hard all year to be ranked where we are and earn those berths to the championship."

The Red Hawks enter the tournament as the 17th ranked bass fishing program in the country in the latest Bass Pro Shops School of the Year standings.

Catawba Valley started practice earlier this week on the waters of Pickwick and Wilson lakes with high hopes of bringing home a national championship to the highest ranking junior college program in the nation.

"We have had a pretty good practice this week, and expect to see some decent bags brought to the scales," Mayo said.

For more information on the 2022 BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing championship, please visit www.collegiatebasschampionship.com.