Sixty-four outstanding high school anglers from across the country have been named to the 2018 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.
“We’re proud to be investing in the next generation of anglers with the Bassmaster High School All-American program,” said Bruce Akin, B.A.S.S. CEO. “This project highlights the best young anglers in the nation, and the résumés of the students nominated for All-State and All-American honors proves just how valuable this generation will be to sportfishing.”
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 465 nominations from across the nation, a more than 100 percent increase since the inception of the program. From these, judges selected 64 student anglers from 38 states to make the All-State Fishing Team. Fifty-six students were also chosen as Honorable Mentions — recognized for their tournament success as well as community service and academic achievement.
“Our All-State team is such a strong group of anglers who have tremendous fishing accomplishments, as well as extensive conservation and community service, and academic achievements,” said Hank Weldon, senior manager of the B.A.S.S. High School program. “We are extremely honored to see this 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 64 All-State team members and select the 12 members of the 2018 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 2018 Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest benefiting the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department event, a fan-favorite festival that will be held May 17-20 on Lake Travis out of Jonestown, 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 64 All-State anglers and 56 Honorable Mentions, in order by state:
Alabama
Ethan King, Wilsonville
Ross Napier, Hartselle
John Adams Gray, Eufaula — Honorable Mention
Hunter Porter, Tuscaloosa — Honorable Mention
Shaw Sandy, Tanner — Honorable Mention
Arizona
Nicklaus Romero, Prescott
Taj White, Phoenix
Arkansas
Karson Hamilton, Hot Springs
Brody Jacks, Tull
Colton Coffman, Newhope — Honorable Mention
Harrison Friddle, Cabot — Honorable Mention
Carson McBride, Springdale — Honorable Mention
California
Manuel Nevarez II, Yuba City
Austin Oranje, Clearlake
Connecticut
William Hinckley, North Branford
Delaware
Jackson Staib, Wilmington
Florida
Donald Christoff, Orlando
Jacob Eaton, Fort Myers
Dylan Westhelle, Sanford — Honorable Mention
Georgia
Spencer Childers, Jasper
Cal Culpepper, Hamilton
Brooks Anderson, Marietta — Honorable Mention
Cy Casey, Evans — Honorable Mention
Mason McCoy, Acworth — Honorable Mention
John Garrett Pearson, Perry — Honorable Mention
Idaho
Jakobe Akins, Coeur d’Alene
Nathanial Kimberling, Coeur d’Alene
Jared Hoffman, Coeur d’Alene — Honorable Mention
Illinois
Alec Berens, Channahon
Tyler Lubbat, Wheeling
Jordan Bowlin, Benton — Honorable Mention
Tyler Christy, Bolingbrook — Honorable Mention
Adam Hingson, Atwood — Honorable Mention
Indiana
Griffin Fernandes, McCordsville
Carter Ball, Noblesville — Honorable Mention
Elijah Hamrick, Berne — Honorable Mention
Colsyn Head, Spencer — Honorable Mention
Iowa
James Ford, Cedar Rapids
Kansas
Hunter Baird, Gypsum
Thomas Heinen, Topeka
Brock Bila, Louisburg — Honorable Mention
Kentucky
Steven Browning, Lancaster
Matthew Roberts, Slemp
Hunter Jones, London — Honorable Mention
Braxton Lamb, Nicholasville — Honorable Mention
Shawn Mills, Campbellsville — Honorable Mention
Hannah Wesley, Junction City — Honorable Mention
Louisiana
Annabelle Guins, Lake Charles
Colby Miller, Elmer
Hunter Courvelle, Lake Charles — Honorable Mention
Alex Erickson, Lake Charles — Honorable Mention
Braxton (Cole) Moore, Anacoco — Honorable Mention
Justin Watts, Denham Springs — Honorable Mention
Massachusetts
Teddy Peznola, Leominster
Michigan
Nicolas Biundo, Wyandotte
Joe Deichelbohrer, Wyandotte
Matthew Davis, Coloma — Honorable Mention
Minnesota
Ben Provost, Prior Lake
Mason Raveling, Prior Lake
Tyler Fitzner, Farmington — Honorable Mention
Solomon Glenn, Lakeville — Honorable Mention
Jared Haugen, Plainview — Honorable Mention
Jack Mulholland, Elgin — Honorable Mention
Mississippi
Garrett McWilliams, Florence
Dalton Smith, Brandon
Hayden Cowart, Richton — Honorable Mention
Jace Ladner, Perkinston — Honorable Mention
Missouri
Caleb Hanes, Springfield
Devon Rathbun, Springfield
Ryan Cameron, Republic — Honorable Mention
Austin Ware, Willard — Honorable Mention
Montana
Lee Lambrecht, Helena
Nick Morrison, Helena
Nebraska
Michael Mueting, Lincoln
Nick Spencer, Lincoln
New Hampshire
Jake Fantasia, Milford
Jamie Pare, Milford
Jack Armstrong, Windham — Honorable Mention
New Jersey
Vincent Pustizzi, Pittsgrove
New Mexico
Alexandria Rigg, Las Cruces
New York
Alex Gauld, Tonawanda
North Carolina
Caz Anderson, Hayesville
Logan Jennings, Hillsborough
Ethan Hoyle, Newton — Honorable Mention
Ohio
Kobe Thompson, Crooksville
Ethan Rider, Gallipolis — Honorable Mention
Oklahoma
Cameron Haling, Grove
Dakota Page, Catoosa
Garrett McCrackin, Mannford — Honorable Mention
Pennsylvania
Austin Gaab, Montoursville
Zachary Tamandl, Schnecksville
Dylan Fogarty, Mechanicsburg — Honorable Mention
Curt Jena, Monaca — Honorable Mention
Rhode Island
Jordon Leahy, Lincoln
South Carolina
James Gibbons, Timmonsville
Britt Myers, Lake Wylie
Jack Hunt, Townville — Honorable Mention
Kyler McKie, North Augusta — Honorable Mention
Daelyn Whaley, Abbeville — Honorable Mention
South Dakota
Brian Ballard, Hermosa
Tennessee
Samuel Vandagriff, McMinnville
Jacob Woods, Loudon
Stratos Lay, Cleveland — Honorable Mention
Josh Lee, Knoxville — Honorable Mention
Nathan Powell — Honorable Mention
Texas
Thomas Martin, Jewett
Cody Shry, Pinehurst
Derek Pietsch, Montgomery — Honorable Mention
Gabriel Talley, Willis — Honorable Mention
Virginia
Ike Andrews, Midlothian
Will Johnson, Locust Grove — Honorable Mention
Devin Page, Martinsville — Honorable Mention
West Virginia
Trevor Albanese, Berkeley Springs
Benjamin LeBlanc, Harpers Ferry
Grace Caldwell, Berkeley Springs — Honorable Mention
Landon Harrington, Berkeley Springs — Honorable Mention
Wisconsin
Bailey Bleser, Burlington
Tyler Cory, Amherst
Jacob Bigelow, Cecil — Honorable Mention
Mitchell Hammes, West Salem — Honorable Mention
2018 Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School Series Title Sponsor: Mossy Oak Fishing
2018 Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School Series Presenting Sponsor: DICK’S Sporting Goods
2018 Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota
2018 Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School Series Premier Sponsors: ABU Garcia, Berkley, Huk, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Skeeter Boats, Triton Boats, Yamaha
2018 Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School Series Supporting Sponsors: Academy Sports + Outdoors, Carhartt, Lowrance, Phoenix Boats
About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S. is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the 500,000-member organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), television show (The Bassmasters on ESPN2), radio show (Bassmaster Radio), social media programs and events. For 50 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.
The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Bassmaster Elite Series, Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Open Series, Academy Sports + Outdoors B.A.S.S. Nation presented by Magellan Outdoors, Carhartt Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School Series presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods, Bassmaster Team Championship and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods.
By: JamieDay Matthews
