LAKELAND, Fla.—Southeastern University bass fishing coach Weston Marsh signed six anglers on Friday to the first recruiting class in the history of the program.
The Fire will begin competition this coming fall in Major League Fishing College Series and the Bassmaster College Series.
"To say that we are blessed as a program is an understatement," said coach Weston Marsh. "We have some really great guys that have decided to come on board with us. Not only do they have great talent, but they love the Lord."
Three of the six signees are from Florida with additional recruits from Georgia, Texas, and Illinois. All will be freshmen at Southeastern this year.
"With being a brand-new program, we don't have any history and in the bass fishing world a lot of the teams that recruit really well have a good track record behind them," said Marsh. "The Lord blessed us and provided some great opportunities for us and I believe we got the right guys in the room."
Colton Boelkes of Roscoe, Ill. and Hononegah High School comes to Southeastern as a two-time Illinois sectional champion and two Top 10 finishes at state. He started the bass fishing program at Hononegah. "I like the change of environment and the background of the school," said Boelkes. "I like that the program is just starting out and building up and there are a lot of benefits and travel involved." He will study Business at Southeastern.
Hunter Boren comes to Lakeland from Pearland, Texas where he was a four-time regional qualifier, three-time state qualifier, and was a three-time Angler of the Year qualifier and was an AOY first-place finisher. "I choose Southeastern because it will be a new environment for me," said Boren. "I like to expand my walk with Christ and bring new people along. I'm most excited about exploring new places and traveling the country." He will study Business at Southeastern.
Trey Garrett of Winder, Ga. and Winder Barrow High School signed with the Fire after placing fifth in the GHSA qualifier and has qualified for state each season. "When I first met Coach Marsh at the combine, I was hooked," said Garrett. "It's a chance to fish some new waters and explore a lot more. I love that it's a Christian-based program and fish in college." He plans to study Business at Southeastern.
Connor Koch comes to Southeastern from Monticello, Fla. and Aucilla Christian Academy where he was an award winning weightlifter. "I like the area that has a lot of bodies of water to fish and a nice campus with a good Christian background," said Koch. "I've always wanted to bass fish and be able to take it to the collegiate level." He plans to major in Kinesiology and Physiology.
Brant Langley is from Orange Park, Fla. and Ridgeview High School where he has held a 3.4 GPA. He has three tournament wins on his resume and is a two-time national championship qualifier. "The coaching staff and Christian community is what led me to Southeastern," said Langley. "The location really fits my Florida ways and I'm really excited to be here. It's close to home and has a lot of lakes around here to fish." Langley intends to study Business and Marketing.
Cody Morgan is from Bishop Kenny High School in Jacksonville where he's won three major high school tournaments and is a two-time national qualifier. The Bassmaster All-America Honorable Mention will study Business at Southeastern. "I choose Southeastern because it's a Christian community and I can continue my walk with Christ and it's a new program to continue fishing," said Morgan. "The coaching staff and the benefits of the program were what excited me the most about Southeastern."
