Recent graduates represent Erskine in national bass fishing championship

Head Bass Fishing Coach Ryan Teems reports that two members of Erskine’s bass fishing team, Wyatt Reid and Gehrig DeFronzo, are competing in the Carhartt Bassmaster National Championship this week at the Harris Chain of Lakes in Leesburg, Fla. “This is the first time Erskine College will be represented in a national championship for bass fishing,” the coach says.

Reid and DeFronzo “qualified for the national championship back in February, and then the championship was postponed due to COVID-19,” Teems says, and the two 2020 graduates are still considered team members for the tournament.

Both graduates were featured in an article by Alan McGuckin at Bassmaster.com, and were asked which course at Erskine was the most difficult for them. McGuckin reported that “Reid cited a literature class, and DeFronzo, a pre-med major, quickly spotlighted organic chemistry even though he earned an ‘A’.”

Reid and DeFronzo are shown in the photo above as they took off earlier today, the first day of the tournament. “Bassmaster.com has a live tracking system and currently the guys have an unofficial weight of 13 lbs. 8 oz. and [are] sitting in fifth place,” Teems says. “They are due in at 3:30 p.m. and the live weigh-in will be on Bassmaster.com at 3:30.”

The championship is set for Oct. 29-31.