Miles Burghoff and Casey O’Donnell continue to revel in their 2011 BoatU.S. Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship victory almost four months after their heroic final day efforts on Lake Lewisville. Most recently, the duo was honored by Osceola County, Florida, by a local proclamation declaring September 12-16, 2011 as “UCF Reel Knights National Championship Week”. The honor was bestowed on them by the Osceola Board of County Commissioners, who recognized this great accomplishment. The board also felt it, “illustrated that Osceola County’s lakes and rivers provide great opportunities for not only recreational fishing, but also the prosperity of competitive fishing.”?
?Burghoff and O’Donnell overtook 144 other teams to bring the National Championship title to the state of Florida for the first time in its history. Established in 2007, the BoatU.S. Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship is the nation’s largest collegiate fishing event, and one of the most elusive titles to capture. Regarding the honor, Miles Burghoff stated, “It is an absolute honor for Casey and I to be recognized by Osceola County in such a way, it has been a great week. It is an even bigger honor to bring additional recognition to the fast-growing sport of collegiate angling and the BoatU.S. Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship. This is a wall-hanger for sure, and will be a source of pride for many years to come.” Casey O’Donnell added, “This is such an honor for me because I have learned how to fish competitively on the lakes of Osceola County.” The pair continues to pursue bass throughout Osceola County and Central Florida, keeping their skills sharp, and their sights set on a repeat victory.?
The Reel Knights will get their chance in 2012, however this time it will be at a new venue. Florence, Alabama will host the event for the first time on famed Pickwick Lake. The new body of water will pose a new set of challenges for the defending champs, but they feel good. Burghoff went on to say, “We’re excited for the Pickwick event and look forward to attempting to defend the title. We know the lake has a great mix of both big largemouth and smallmouth and there should be a good bite in May.”??
The 2012 BoatU.S. Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship will take place May 23-25, and will be televised as part of the BoatU.S. Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship Series, as seen on Versus. For more information on the 2012 BoatU.S. Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship, visit the collegiatebasschampionship website. For more information on the UCF Reel Knights visit the reelknights website.??
About the ACA
The Association of Collegiate Anglers, a division of CarecoTV, is a sanctioning body developed to facilitate growth, development, and structure within competitive collegiate bass fishing.? The ACA provides support to dozens of regional events nationwide and owns the BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship Series, the largest collegiate tournament circuit in the country.? With dedicated programming on the Versus network, three nationally televised collegiate bass fishing events, and thousands of members, the ACA is the leader in competitive collegiate bass fishing.?By: Wade Middleton
