Calhoun bass fishing team members Michael Childers and Landon Nelson are headed to the national championship after an eighth-place finish at a recent fishing event.

Calhoun Community College bass fishing team members Michael Childers and Landon Nelson are headed to the national championship after finishing eighth out of 216 teams at the YETI Fishing League Worldwide College Fishing tournament at Lake Hartwell presented by Costa.

The pair hauled in a five-bass limit catch of 12 pounds, 1 ounce. Childers is a native of Union Grove, while Nelson hails from Falkville.

The tournament was the third and final regular-season qualifying competition for Southeastern Conference anglers and the final FLW College Fishing event of the 2019 season. The competition earned the duo a slot in the 2020 FLW College Fishing National Championship.

YETI FLW College Fishing teams compete in three regular-season qualifying tournaments in one of five conferences – Central, Northern, Southern, Southeastern and Western.

All participants must be registered, full-time students at a college or university and members of a college fishing club recognized by their institution. The top 10 teams from each division’s three regular-season tournaments and the top 20 teams from the annual FLW College Fishing Open advanced to the 2020 FLW College Fishing National Championship, scheduled for Feb. 26-28 on the Harris Chain of Lakes in Leesburg, Florida.

“I am very proud of the Calhoun bass fishing team. We compete against two- and four-year schools from all over the country and we continue to do well every year,” Calhoun fishing team sponsor Meg Graham said. “Last season, we ranked eighth in the national ACA School of the Year standings. We are off to a great start again this year. The college and administration are very supportive of our team, and we receive a lot of great national exposure as the Calhoun bass fishing team continues to do well in their tournaments.”

The team can be seen on live broadcast on the World Fishing Network during the Boat U.S. National Championship this week and next. Visit https://www.collegiatebasschampionship.com/world-fishing-network-wfn/ for the airing schedule.