B.A.S.S. Names Students To 2017 Bassmaster High School All-State Team

March 20, 2017

B.A.S.S. Names Students To 2017 Bassmaster High School All-State Team

[print_link]

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Sixty-nine outstanding high school anglers from across the country have been named to the 2017 class of Bassmaster High School All-State Fishing Team presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods.

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

“From the very beginning, a guiding principle of B.A.S.S. has been to introduce youngsters to the sport of fishing, and the resumes of the young people nominated for All-State and All-American honors proves that these efforts are paying off,” said Bruce Akin, B.A.S.S. CEO. “High School fishing programs are great incentives for getting students and their parents out of doors and on the water.”

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 are eligible.

B.A.S.S. received more than 380 nominations from across the nation, a 75 percent increase over the number nominated in the first two years of the program. From these, judges selected 69 student anglers from 40 states to make the All-State Fishing Teams.

“Our All-State team is such a strong group of young anglers who have tremendous fishing accomplishments, as well as extensive community service and academic achievements,” said Hank Weldon, senior manager of the B.A.S.S. High School program. “We are extremely proud to recognize these student anglers, and we congratulate them on their success on and off the water.”

A second panel of judges will review nominations of the 69 All-State team members and select the 12 members of the 2017 Bassmaster High School All-American Fishing Team presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods. 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 2017 Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest benefiting the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department event, a fan-favorite festival that will be held May 17-21 on Sam Rayburn Reservoir out of Lufkin, 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. All will be profiled in Bassmaster Magazine, read monthly by 4.4 million people, as well as on Bassmaster.com.

“Because of the tremendous increase in nominations this year, and because the All-State anglers in many states were decided by razor-thin margins, B.A.S.S. decided to recognize an additional group of outstanding students with honorable mention awards,” said Helen White, High School All-American program manager. “These student anglers illustrated strong tournament success rates as well as solid community service and academic achievement.”

Below is the list of the 69 All-State anglers, in order by state:

Alabama Logan Parks, AuburnBriana Tucker, MoultonLucas Lindsay, Auburn — Honorable MentionRyan Sweeney, Springville — Honorable Mention

Arizona Steven Mack, Queen CreekTaj White, GlendaleTommy Sendek, Tucson — Honorable Mention

Arkansas Reese Jones, RogersBryer Pennington, Prescott

California Luke Johns, FolsomBrian Lopez, Yuba City

ColoradoEric “Jordan” Evans, Colorado Springs

Connecticut Noah Winslow, Naugatuck

Delaware Jackson Staib, Wilmington

Florida Colin Blanton, Winter SpringsCole Thompson, St. CloudJacob Eaton, Fort Myers — Honorable MentionParker Klump, North Fort Myers — Honorable Mention

Georgia Jake Blumling, EvansCy Casey, EvansTaylor Cox, Carrollton — Honorable MentionCal Culpepper, Hamilton — Honorable MentionGarrett Hayes, Chatsworth — Honorable MentionEmil Wagner, Marietta — Honorable Mention

Illinois Tyler Lubbat, WheelingAlex Wojtowicz, ShorewoodNathan Doty, Decatur — Honorable MentionAdam Hingson, Atwood — Honorable Mention

Indiana Blake Albertson, BloomingtonBeau Ashcraft, LafayetteAdam Puckett, Bloomington — Honorable Mention

Iowa Sam Louw, Story CityKaleb Tweite, RicevilleKyler Bauer, Riceville — Honorable MentionIsaiah Minton, Marion — Honorable Mention

Kansas Hunter French, BuhlerZach Vielhauer, ShawneeBrock Bila, Overland Park — Honorable MentionThomas Heinen, Topeka — Honorable Mention

Kentucky Dustin Jones, StanfordKyle Roy, JamestownMorgan Miracle, Lancaster — Honorable Mention

Louisiana Cade Fortenberry, PrairievilleColby Miller, ElmerAnnabelle Guins, Lake Charles — Honorable MentionWes Rollo, Natchitoches — Honorable Mention

Maine Reid Lavigne, Biddeford

Maryland Jospeh McClosky, SwantonTyler Wallace, New Market

MassachusettsEvan Bramhill, NorthboroughTeddy Peznola, Leominster

Michigan Keegan Findley, Grand HavenGunner Wilson, FentonMatthew Davis, Coloma — Honorable Mention

Minnesota Reid Saarela, LakevilleMatt Stearns, LakevilleSolomon Glenn, Lakeville — Honorable Mention

Mississippi Russell Brown, HattiesburgJames Willoughby, Gulfport

Missouri Dalton Combs, OzarkTristin Williams, Grain ValleyGrant Nisbet, St. Louis — Honorable Mention

Nebraska Draven Ray, Plattsmouth

New Hampshire Jeremy Bates, ChichesterCraig Beucler, Sandown

New Jersey Joe Buthusiem, CollingswoodVincent Pustizzi, Pittsgrove

New Mexico Alex Rigg, Las Cruces

New York Matthew Arndt, North SyracusePerry Marvin, PeruBrandon Biby, New York City — Honorable Mention

North Carolina Christopher Guest, ShelbyAlden Patterson, MebaneTitus Ward, Statesville — Honorable Mention

Ohio Colten Didion, WestervilleConnor Aten, Macedonia

Oklahoma Taylor Hamburger, TulsaGarrett McCrackin, JenningsKaden Knoch, Harrah — Honorable Mention

Pennsylvania Austin Gaab, Montoursville

Rhode Island Tyler Conde, ChepachetJordon Leahy, Lincoln

South Carolina Caleb Blackwood, Rock HillOakley Connor, Travelers RestDrake Boyd, Abbeville — Honorable MentionAndrew Mitchell, Donalds — Honorable Mention

Tennessee Kyle Ingleburger, WinchesterKyle Palmer, Estill SpringsHunter Conatser, Jamestown — Honorable MentionLandry Cooper, Vonore — Honorable MentionCameron Kirkland, Knoxville — Honorable MentionSamuel Vandagriff, McMinnville — Honorable Mention

Texas Jared Gobel, LumbertonTrace O’Dell, BunaHunter Martindale, Jasper — Honorable MentionHunter Muncrief, Pineland — Honorable Mention

Virginia Trent Carr, RhoadesvilleGavin Haley Locust GroveHylton Scott, Stuart — Honorable MentionTravis Walker, Stuart — Honorable Mention

West Virginia Grace Caldwell, Berkeley SpringsLandon Harrington, Berkeley Springs

Wisconsin Bailey Bleser, BurlingtonBradley Gumtow, NeenahColton Haney, Baldwin — Honorable Mention

2017 Costa Bassmaster High School Title Sponsor: Costa

2017 Costa Bassmaster High School Presenting Sponsor: DICK’S Sporting Goods

2017 Costa Bassmaster High School Premier Sponsors: Power-Pole, Minn Kota, Toyota, Berkley, Yamaha, Triton Boats, Humminbird, Huk, Shell Rotella, Mercury, Nitro Boats

2017 Costa Bassmaster High School Supporting Sponsors: Carhartt, Lowrance, ABU Garcia, St. Croix Rods, Phoenix Boats, Shimano, Academy Sports + Outdoors

The post B.A.S.S. Names Students To 2017 Bassmaster High School All-State Team appeared first on The Bass Cast.