Local high school teams catch fish during Nationals

Three area bass fishing teams compete in the Bassmasters National High School Championship tournament last week on Chickamauga Lake in Tennessee with one team missing the final cut after Day 2 by just one ounce.
Grace Olsen and Cole Hampson from Gardner-South Wilmington High School finished 13th out of 271 boats, needing one more ounce to advance to the final day on Saturday.
The Gardner team filled their three-fish limit on Thursday and Friday to end up with a six bass total of 21 pounds, 2 ounces. On Day 1, Olsen and Hampson turned in a 6 pound, 15 ounce total and then climbed the standings on Day 2 with and additional 14 pounds, 3 ounces.
If they had landed a one-ounce heavier fish, they would have been among the top 12 boats to advance to Saturday’s finals and a shot of the winning $10,000 scholarship for college.
That title went to Rex Reagan and Max Moody of Pickett County High School of Byrdstown, TN who finished with a three-day total of nine bass weighing in at 43 pounds, three ounces. Second place was 37 pounds, 7 ounces.
The Reed-Custer team of Bret Cavanaugh and Alex Bielfeldt finished 149th overall after turning in a three-fish limit of 6 pounds, 4 ounces on Day 1 and on Day 2 a single bass weighing 2 pounds, 12 ounces. Their respectable 9 pound total put them just shy of being in the middle of the pack.
The Coal City team of Mason Aldridge and Gavin Harden worked the massive lake hard just like 270 other boats but landed just one fish on Day 1 of 1 pound, 13 ounces to finish 241st overall.
For all three teams it was an honor to qualify for the high school nationals featuring the best high school bass fishing teams in the nation.