DSC takes top honors in fishing, surfing competitions

In both fresh and salt water, Daytona State College students kicked off the new year with big January wins in their respective sports.

Despite rainy, choppy conditions at New Smyrna Beach Inlet, the DSC Surf Club scored enough points in the men’s and women’s divisions to take home first-place team honors in a regional contest sponsored by the National Scholastic Surfing Association. It is the third consecutive time DSC has taken home the gold in a regional contest.

Team captain Jacob Kotchpowell took second place against competitors from the University of Florida, University of North Florida and other Florida colleges and universities in the Southeast/North Conference of NSSA. Cory Anderson took fourth place in the final heat and Blake Bordis took fifth place. In the women’s division, Amanda Buemi took first place and Amber Jeckovich took third.

The team has two more regional contests before facing a larger field of competitors in the NSSA East Coast Championships April 9-12 in New Smyrna Beach.

Daytona State anglers took to the water to beat all comers during the 2015 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Southern Regional fishing tournament on the St. Johns River the first week of January, competing against nearly 130 collegiate teams from throughout the Southeastern United States.

Brothers Thomas and James Oltorik won the covered championship in what were at times windy and chilly conditions during the three-day tournament, which spanned the St. Johns River from Jacksonville to New Smyrna Beach. The brothers Oltorik’s total tournament catch of 42 pounds, 6 ounces bested Clemson University’s Baylor Ronemus’ and Cole Tinsley’s total by one pound. The tournament was the first of the 2015 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series, which culminates with a national championship tournament slated this summer.