Georgia team wins TBF/FLW High School Fishing Open on Lake Russell
SENECA, S.C. – Connor Giella and Zach Battle of Augusta, Ga., tied with Laurens High School’s George Compton and Hunter Bond on Saturday at the TBF/FLW High School Open event on Lake Russell with four-fish bags weighing 9 pounds, 9 ounces. The title went down to the third tiebreaker, the earliest registration date for the event, and eventually Giella and Battle were named champions.
Compton and Bond ended up winning the South Carolina State Championship, which went to the highest finishing team from South Carolina.
Finishing third overall and second in the South Carolina Championship portion of the event was the team of Levi Neave and Stephen Brooks, who brought in two Lake Russell bass that weighed 8 pounds, who claimed the South Carolina runner-up spot and a regional qualifying berth in the Southeastern Conference Regional event in September. Rounding out the regional qualifier was the team of Tyler Brown and William Matthews of York County High School, Keegan Towne and Hunter Green of Dorman High School and Jason Fletcher and Tyler Boyter of Broome High School.
The teams will represent their respective schools at the Southeastern Conference Regional Championship and will be vying for a berth in the TBF/FLW Outdoors High School National Championship and a $10,000 Scholarship prize.
High School fishing is open to all students grades nine through 12. Each team of two students and their “coach,” who provides and operates their boat during competition, are invited to compete in a state championship. The top 10 percent of each state championship field then advances to a conference championship, and the top 10 percent of each conference championship field advances to the High School Fishing National Championship. Each member of the winning team at the 2014 High School Fishing National Championship received $5,000 to help cover tuition at the university of their choice.
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About FLW
FLW is the industry’s premier tournament-fishing organization, providing anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money nationwide in 2014 over the course of 229 tournaments across five tournament circuits, four of which provide an avenue to the sport’s richest payday and most coveted championship trophy – the Forrest Wood Cup. FLW tournament fishing can be seen on the Emmy-nominated “FLW” television show and is broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide, making it the most widely distributed weekly outdoors-sports television show in the world. FLW is committed to providing a lifestyle experience that is the “Best in Fishing, On and Off the Water.” For more information about FLW visit FLWOutdoors.com and look for FLW on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and YouTube.