UNA Students Win Big at Singing River Trail Launch Tank Competition
May. 07, 2026
Michelle R. Eubanks , UNA, at meubanks@una.edu, 256.765.4392
FLORENCE, AL – University of North Alabama students Hayden Blakely and Sam Hathcock took first place with a $10,000 prize to move their mobile fishing tournament app, CastOff, forward as part of this year’s Singing River Trail Launch Tank Competition.
“It was a strong show across the board,” said Mary Marshall VanSant, Director of UNA’s Office of Regional Engagement. “Every one of the eleven finalists delivered, pitching their small business ideas to a packed room and our panel of judges. Ultimately, CastOff was selected as the winner because of its innovative concept and use of AI technology.”
Hayden and Sam’s idea, sparked by their recognition of financial and fairness problems in fishing tournaments, manifested in CastOff (Anglr), a mobile application that makes competitive fishing available to anyone, anywhere. CastOff uses AI catch-scanning technology for accurate scoring, GPS geofencing, and live leaderboards to create tournament experience that is both fair and accessible.
In partnership with Innovate Alabama, the Singing River Trail Launch Tank Competition awarded non-dilutive funding to all finalists in order to move their businesses forward. The funding was distributed in $10,000 (first place), $5,000 (second place), $2,500 (third place), and $1,000 dividends for each of the remaining finalists.
The CastOff team has already won the $5,000 Grand Prize and $1,000 Best Video categories as part of the BIG Ideas Awards Dinner and Celebration. BIG Ideas is an entry-level program that encourages students who have limited or no competition experience to develop their ideas, transform their thinking, and address problems through creativity and ingenuity. Advising, mentoring, and assistance are integral parts of the program, along with funding and recognition.
“Hayden Blakely and Sam Hathcock exemplify what the BIG Ideas program is all about: creative thinking paired with real-world impact,” said Mitch Hamm, Director of the Joel R. Anderson Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurial Studies. “Their success at the Big Ideas Awards Celebration and the Singing River Trail Launch Tank reflects not only their hard work but also the strength of experiential, student-driven innovation on our campus.”
With a combined winning of $16,000 at the Big Ideas Awards Celebration and the Singing River Trail Launch Tank, Hayden and Sam said they are grateful for their supporters and looking forward to the future of CastOff.
“It just goes to show that even college students, or anyone with an idea, can be the ones holding the next ‘big idea’ and prove that innovation is truly thriving in the State of Alabama,” Hayden said. “Sam and I are so grateful for everyone who believed in us through this process, and we cannot wait to see where CastOff goes from here.”
About The University of North Alabama
The University of North Alabama is an accredited, comprehensive regional state university offering undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degree programs through the colleges of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering; the Sanders College of Business and Technology; the Spencer College of Education and Human Sciences; and the Anderson College of Nursing and Health Professions. Occupying a 130-acre campus in a residential section of Florence, Alabama, UNA is located within a four-city area that also includes Muscle Shoals, Sheffield, and Tuscumbia. UNA Athletics, a renowned collegiate athletics program with seven (7) Division II National Championships, is now a proud member of NCAA Division I as part of the Atlantic Sun and United Athletic conferences. The University of North Alabama is an equal opportunity institution and does not discriminate in the admission policy on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, disability, age, or national origin. For more: una.edu and una.edu/unaworks/.