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The Inaugural Marshall University Cup took place on Saturday, November 2, 2019, on Summersville Lake near Mt. Nebo, WV.
Twenty of the top anglers from around West Virginia and eastern Kentucky area came together to fish the final event of the Marshall University Bass Trail.
The event is one of the highest paying “no entry fee” tournaments put on by a college fishing club in the country. The inaugural cup paid over $6,500 to the top 8 contestants with a couple add-ons throughout the field.
Read More: How the Marshall University Bass Trail Cup came about
The morning saw frosty conditions for blast off, but after a few hours, the sun lifted over the mountains and it turned out to be a pretty nice day. It wasn’t warm enough to take your sweatshirt off, but definitely warm enough for to wear just a pair of bibs and a hoodie.
The Winners: Lee Hess and Josh Miller
The biggest story of the event would be Lee Hess and Josh Miller coming out of nowhere to win the Cup.
I would say they were underdogs heading into the event, but Lee Hess did mention that “we love this lake this time of year” after the weigh-in.
Hess and Miller would blast off 17th out of a 20 boat field and decided after seeing everyone hit the main lake they would stay back close to the ramp and try their luck there.
It turned out to be a good decision for them as they boated 10.74 lbs of smallmouth — enough to take home the first Marshall University Cup!
They also took home a grand prize of $3,750!
The Runners-Up: Kenny Day and Rick Harris
The Cup definitely saw a close race at the weigh-in table. Barely a quarter of a pound separated the top two finishers.
Kenny Day and Rick Harris came in second place with a 10.42 lb total, taking home $1,425. The pair also earned an additional $100 for landing the biggest fish of the tournament.
Kenny and Rick would’ve love to have won the Cup, but said they were happy with the #2 spot.
Oh, and if you’re wondering why Rick is giving a “thumbs up” in the picture above, it has nothing to do with the money they won. He had actually stuck a crankbait hook in his hand earlier that day.
The Rest of the Field
3rd Place ($575): Brian Fitzgerald and Dylan Fitzgerald (9.76 lbs)
4th Place- Danny Brinegar and Everett Chapman
5th Place- Charles Lee and Andy Gillenwater
6th Place- James Priddy and Jason Priddy
7th Place- Russ Simpson and Cody Walker
8th Place- Tony Dean and Thy Dinh
Smallest Fish ($50): Mike Williams and Tim Williams (.93 lb)
Smallest Total Weight ($100): Mick Sansom and Aaron Berry (1.83 lbs)
Be sure to follow the Marshall University Fishing Club on Facebook for more information about upcoming events.
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