The Pioneer Fishing Club at Tusculum College has received national recognition for ranking 19th in the nation in collegiate fishing.
The team achieved this ranking attending only five out of 14 qualifying events due to limited resources. To improve further, the club is now seeking community support to compete in all 14 competitions, with an ultimate goal of reaching a number one ranking and becoming an NCAA team sport at the college.
“This semester, we’re focusing on raising money and becoming more visible on campus,” said Nick Hatfield, a senior business major from Greeneville and president of the Pioneer Fishing Club. “With more sponsors, we can attend more qualifying events and make fishing at Tusculum a big deal.”
Their mission is to provide students at Tusculum College with the opportunity to learn about fishing and expand their skills, as well as compete in collegiate fishing tournaments.
“Fishing has become a very important part of my life ever since joining the Pioneer Fishing Club,” said Justin Reagan, a business administration major from Johnson City and secretary of the club. “I’ve been able to meet a great group of people and have been able to also enjoy some time on the water with these guys, and the fact that I get to represent my school at the same time makes it that much better. It’s hard to really say what fishing means to me, but I can’t imagine where I’d be without it.”
Corban Rood, a senior environmental science major from Knoxville and vice president, said, “Fishing is everything to me.”
Established in 2012 as a recreational club, the team began competing in 2014. As a student organization responsible for their own expenses, members of the Pioneer Fishing Club sought help from the community and received support from Hometown Reality, Snapps Ferry Packing, Affordable Roofing and American Emergency Response Training, Inc.
“Without the help of the local community, we wouldn’t have been able to compete at all,” said Rood.
The team competed in five qualifying events, placing first out of 200 teams at Kentucky Lake and typically placing within the top 40 in other competitions.
“After last year’s successes, we’re looking into having Tusculum recognize fishing as a sport,” said Dr. Jason Jones, assistant professor of physical education and advisor of the Pioneer Fishing Club. “We’ve already had prospective students contacting us about scholarships through fishing, but we don’t offer one yet.”
The team is focused on more than just fishing. As a part of the club’s commitment to give back to the community, each member is required to complete at least eight hours of community service each semester.
Hatfield said, “It’s not just about competition. We like to just go out for a day on the water, too. If you are interested in fishing, we’re interested in you. You don’t even need a fishing rod.”
The Pioneer Fishing Club meets every Tuesday at 11:30 a.m. in the Niswonger Commons on the Greeneville campus, Room 401. For more information, contact Hatfield at 423-341-9832 or Dr. Jones at jrjones@tusculum.edu.
By Stephanie Turner, senior journalism and professional writing major from Shelbyville