Paul Clark and Brett Preuett, collegiate anglers from the University of Louisiana–Monroe, became the first team to qualify for the 2013 Ranger Cup University Team of the Year finals by winning the FLW College Fishing National Championship on Arkansas’ Beaver Lake.

As the highest-finishing Ranger Cup University-qualified team with a total weight of 40 pounds, 3 ounces during the three-day event, the duo received $2,000 cash as well as an expense-paid trip to Texas’ famed Lake Fork where they will compete for the Team of the Year title later this year.

At Lake Fork, Clark and Preuett will be matched against the Ranger Cup-qualified team with the highest place of finish in the BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship. Both teams will receive a grand-prize package, which includes travel, lodging and meals, as well as the opportunity to compete from fully rigged Ranger boats. The made-for-TV event will be televised nationally on “Americana Outdoors” seen on the NBC Sports Network.

“I might have a heart attack and you might have to call an ambulance,” Preuett said after he and Clark won the FLW event by nine ounces over the second-place finishers from the University of North Carolina–Charlotte. “I really didn’t think we had that much weight.”

For winning the FLW College Fishing National Championship, Clark and Preuett took home a $30,000 first-place prize package as well as automatic berths into the 2013 Forrest Wood Cup, to be contested on the Red River near Shreveport, La.. Clark will fish in the Cup as a boater where he will have a chance to compete for the $500,000 first-place prize while Preuett will fish the contest as a co-angler.

“I only live an hour and a half away so I’m going to be spending every weekend for the next three months on the Red River,” said Clark. “It’s going to be an opportunity of a lifetime.”

Modeled after the most lucrative contingency rewards in the industry, Ranger Cup, Ranger Cup University is the first program of its kind exclusively for collegiate anglers and is open to those fishing in either FLW- or BoatUS-affiliated competitions. Signup is free, regardless of which brand of boat they own. To remain qualified in the program, anglers need only adhere to clothing and logo requirements. And as part of the Ranger Cup University program, participants will be able to receive specially discounted tournament gear through Gemini Custom Apparel, with no artwork or set-up fees.

With the discounts, Ranger Cup University anglers can purchase fully customized tournament jerseys for as low as $48.

For more information on Ranger Cup University, to register and read all about the program guidelines and payout opportunities, go online to RangerBoats.com.

About Ranger Boats

Headquartered in Flippin, Ark., Ranger Boats is the nation’s premier manufacturer of legendary fiberglass and aluminum fishing boats, which include series of bass, multi-species, fish ‘n play, water fowl utility and saltwater boats. Founded in 1968 by Forrest L. Wood, Ranger Boats continues its commitment to building the highest-quality, strongest-performing boats on the water. For more information, go to RangerBoats.com.