In rainy and cool conditions, the Benet bass fishing team competed in their sectional competition on May 5. The competition took place at Lake Holiday, and the harsh weather added another challenge to the already difficult event. Before the competition, Mr. Michael Stracco, the team’s coach, said this about the team, “Our team is at a disadvantage because the hosting team, Sandwich High School, knows the lake. Lake Holiday is a private lake. The competition will be a challenge for sure.” The two Benet teams were able to overcome these difficulties and placed 10th and 13th overall. This is very good considering that the team has a very short season and practice time was limited. According to Mr. Stracco, “We fish at local ponds during the fall, and in the spring we fish at the sectional site, Lake Holiday. Many of the other teams prepare for the competition the same way.”

Bass Fishing is much different than other sports at Benet as almost anyone, regardless of physical ability, can participate in the sport and enjoy it. Mr. Stracco believes that Bass Fishing is different than other sports at Benet because, “We allow everyone to participate, and everyone has a chance to fish. Also, Bass Fishing allows the fishers to establish a particular connection with the outdoors, and they learn to appreciate the outdoors. You don’t really get this in other sports, and Bass Fishing is just a wonderful experience because of this.” The team is relatively new compared to other sports, as it was only first considered a sport by the IHSA 11 years ago. The team has been competing for the past 10 years, and they improve every year, hopefully they will continue to place in difficult competitions for years to come.