Wednesday, March 6, 2019

B.A.S.S. Names Leading Student Athletes To 2019 Bassmaster High School All-State Fishing Team

B.A.S.S. Names Leading Student Athletes To 2019 Bassmaster High School All-State Fishing Team

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Sixty-two outstanding high school anglers from across the country have been named to the 2019 Bassmaster High School All-State Fishing Team presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors.

The students were selected for the honor based on their success in bass tournament competition, academic achievement and leadership in conservation and community service.

“The Bassmaster High School All-American program recognizes the best young anglers in the nation,” said Bruce Akin, B.A.S.S. CEO. “These student athletes are at the top of our sport both with their tournament success and academic achievements. We are proud to honor their accomplishments on a national level.”

To be considered for the All-State Fishing Team, a student must have been nominated by a parent, coach, teacher or other school official. Students currently enrolled in grades 10-12 with a current-year grade point average of 2.5 or higher were eligible.

B.A.S.S. received more than 400 nominations from across the nation. From these, judges selected 62 student anglers from 35 states to make the All-State Fishing Team. In addition, 32 students received Honorable Mentions recognizing them for their tournament success as well as community service and academic achievement.

“These qualifiers are helping shape the future of our sport,” said Hank Weldon, senior manager of the B.A.S.S. High School program. “Their enthusiasm for sportfishing and their communities is exceptional, and we can only imagine what the future holds for these anglers.

“We are extremely proud to see our Bassmaster All-American program flourish, and we congratulate these student anglers on their success on and off the water.”

A second panel of judges will review nominations of the 62 All-State team members and select the 12 members of the 2019 Bassmaster High School All-American Fishing Team presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors. As in All-State judging, criteria include success in high school fishing tournaments, involvement in conservation efforts and other community service activities.

The 12 finalists will compete in a one-day Bassmaster All-American High School Bass Tournament held during the 2019 Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest benefiting Texas Parks and Wildlife Department event, a fan-favorite festival that will take place May 2-6 on Lake Fork out of Emory, Texas.

Elite Series anglers will serve as teammates and “coaches” of the student anglers in the tournament. The high school standouts will be honored on the main Texas Fest stage at the weigh-in.

Below is the list of the 62 All-State anglers and 32 Honorable Mentions, in order by state:

Alabama
Wesley Gore, Jemison
Tucker Smith, Shoal Creek
Grayson Morris, Birmingham — Honorable Mention

Arizona
Bryce Drake, Yuma
Isaiah Rios, Phoenix
Taj White, Glendale — Honorable Mention
Nicklaus Romero, Prescott — Honorable Mention

Arkansas
Bryce Lane, Rogers
Brody Jacks, Benton
Bryson Kindy, Benton — Honorable Mention
Jay Morgan, Trumann — Honorable Mention

California
Miles Kaneko, Berkeley
Samuel West, Fort Bragg

Colorado
Colton Colwell, Windsor
Jack Harpole, Littleton

Connecticut
William Hinckley, North Branford

Florida
Dylan Westhelle, Sanford
Jackson Swisher, Lake City
Garrett Thomas, Mulberry — Honorable Mention
Chase Givens, Dover — Honorable Mention

Georgia
Brooks Anderson, Marietta
Parker Guy, Ocilla
Tanner Hadden, Evans — Honorable Mention
Logan Plueger, Grovetown — Honorable Mention

Idaho
Nathanial Kimberling, Coeur d'Alene
Eyston Kunz, Meridian

Illinois
Wyatt Pazdro, Minooka
Garrett Beatty, Sandwich

Indiana
Carter Ball, Noblesville
Colsyn Head, Poland
Scott Sledge, Greenwood — Honorable Mention
Jack Schable, La Porte — Honorable Mention

Iowa
Samuel Louw, Story City

Kansas
Brett Halstead, Riley
Brock Bila, Louisburg
Kyle Simmons, Leonardville — Honorable Mention
Parker Still, Topeka — Honorable Mention

Kentucky
William Carnes, Stanford
Hannah Wesley, Junction City
Jacob Autry, Beaver Dam — Honorable Mention
Jake Thornbury, Finchville — Honorable Mention

Louisiana
Wes Rollo, Natchitoches
Bryant Martin, Crowley

Maine
Tyler Williams, Belgrade

Massachusetts
Nathan Smith, Uxbridge

Michigan
Nicolas Biundo, Wyandotte
Hayden Scott, Ann Arbor
Brady Stuart, Wyandotte — Honorable Mention

Minnesota
Kobie Koenig, Cohasset
Patrick McMurry, Lakeville
Ethan Vanden Busch, Lakeville — Honorable Mention

Mississippi
Dalton Smith, Brandon
James Willoughby, Gulfport
Garrett McWilliams, Florence — Honorable Mention
Tony Edwards, Tremont — Honorable Mention

Missouri
Devon Rathbun, Springfield
Zak Hobbs, Imperial
Caleb Haines, Springfield — Honorable Mention

Nebraska
Colton Kelle, Beatrice

New Hampshire
Logan Berube, Hampstead

New York
Alex Gauld, Tonawanda
Garrett Lawton, Pulaski

North Carolina
Caz Anderson, Hayesville
Brycen Hendriks, Durham — Honorable Mention
Kyle Dillon, Durham — Honorable Mention

Ohio
Luke Haymaker, Canal Fulton
Kobe Thompson, Crooksville

Oklahoma
Charles Williams, Mannford
Dakota Page, Catoosa
Quinton Story, Henryetta — Honorable Mention

Oregon
Michael Postlewait, Astoria

Pennsylvania
Austin Aikins, Lower Burrell
Dylan Fogarty, Mechanicsburg

South Carolina
Jacob Butts, Starr
Jack Hunt, Townville
Timothy McKenzie, Georgetown — Honorable Mention

Tennessee
Seth Moser, Maryville
Austin Smith, Jacksboro
Jackson Holbert, Decaturville — Honorable Mention
Joshua Lee, Knoxville — Honorable Mention
Hayden Gaddis, Seymour — Honorable Mention

Texas
Hunter Muncrief, Pineland
Cason Ragsdale, Winnsboro
Ben Cully, Rockwall — Honorable Mention
Gabriel Talley, Conroe — Honorable Mention
Braden Clifton, Livingston — Honorable Mention

Virginia
Colin Bennett, Axton
Jacob Lovell, Stuart

West Virginia
Dylan Fitzgerald, Charleston
Trevor Albanese, Berkeley Springs
Sam Ambrose, Berkeley Springs — Honorable Mention

Wisconsin
Tyler Cory, Amherst
Casey Hoffman, New London
Jacob Bigelow, Cecil — Honorable Mention

2019 Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School Series presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors Title Sponsor: Mossy Oak Fishing

2019 Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School Series presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors Presenting Sponsor: Academy Sports + Outdoors

2019 Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School Series presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors Platinum Sponsor: Toyota

2019 Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School Series presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors Premier Sponsors: Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Skeeter Boats, Triton Boats, Yamaha, Abu Garcia, Berkley, Talon

2019 Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School Series presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors Supporting Sponsors: Bass Pro Shops, Carhartt, Lowrance, TNT Fireworks

About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S. is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport. With more than 510,000 members internationally, B.A.S.S. is not only home to the nation’s premier fishing tournament trails, but it also boasts the most expansive and comprehensive media network in the fishing industry. Its media include The Bassmasters on the ESPN networks, more than 130 hours of tournament programming on the Pursuit Channel, 250 hours of on-the-water streaming coverage on Bassmaster LIVE and 1 million monthly visitors to the flagship website on bass fishing – Bassmaster.com. B.A.S.S. also provides more than 4.4 million readers with the best in bass fishing coverage through Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times, and its radio and social media programs and events reach hundreds of thousands each month.

The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, culminating in the ultimate event on the biggest stage for competitive anglers, the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods. The trail also includes the Bassmaster Elite Series, BassPro.com Bassmaster Opens Series, B.A.S.S. Nation Series, Carhartt Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School Series presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors, and the Bassmaster Team Championship.

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Media Contact: Dave Precht, 205-313-0931, dprecht@bassmaster.com | Gettys Brannon 864-490-7864, gettys@mcalistercommunications.com