Barrett and Thomas finish eighth in the High School Fishing World Finals in Florence, AL

Marshall County anglers Harlan Thomas (left) and Tristan Barrett finished eighth Saturday in the 10th Annual High School Fishing World Finals, a four-day event presented by The Bass Federation and FLW.

The 2019 High School Fishing National Championship held in conjunction with the 10th Annual  High School Fishing World Finals took place on Pickwick Lake in Florence, Ala. July 19-22.

Two teams from Marshall County competed in the tournament. After Day 1 in the National Championship category, Tristan Barrett and Harlen Thomas finished 14th with a three-fish limit of 11-02. This placed the team in 24th in the High School World Finals in a field of 389 teams. Nathan Steele and Evan Bremmerkamp finished in 107th with 6-09 in the National Championship part of the tournament and 177th in the World Finals.

After Day 2, Barrett and Thomas moved up to 13th with a two-day weight of 21-06 in the National’s division and moved to 19th in the World’s division which made the cut to fish in Friday’s Day 3 semi-finals in the World Finals tournament.

After Day 2, the  top 10 moved on to Day 3 to vie for the National Championship title with the team of Christopher Capdeboscq and Sam Acosta from North Lake Christian School (LA) winning the High School National Championship with a three-day total of 35-12, just one ounce over second place Colin McCullough and Justin Hamlin from Cedar Bluff High School. McCracken County’s Sarah Morehead and Hunter Valerius finished sixth with a three-day total of 32-06. Barrett and Thomas finished just out of the top 10 in 12th overall in National Championship standings with their two-day total of 21-06.

After their 65th finish on Day 2, Steele and Bremmerkamp joined 313 boats in Friday’s World’s 2nd Chance Round and finished 134th with 4-12, not advancing to the World Finals on Saturday.

Barrett and Thomas advanced to Saturday’s World Finals along with the 10 National Championship finalists, the top 10 teams from Friday’s semi-final round, and the next 10 teams (highest day-three weight) from the semi-final round and second-chance rounds combined. Barrett and Thomas placed sixth out of 66 boats with a three-fish limit of 11-06. The duo joined a field of 31 boats that advanced to Saturday’s World Finals.

In Saturday’s High School Fishing World Finals, all previous totals for the 31 teams were zeroed out and at the end of the day, Barrett and Thomas finished eighth with a three fish limit of 11-06. For their efforts, the anglers were offered scholarships from two schools and received a Lews Rod for making the top 10. Barrett, a graduating senior, has signed to join the McKendree University Bass Fishing program.

Anthony Cicero IV and Dakota Snyder from Elizabethtown High School won on Saturday with a three fish limit of 16-06. With first place came a choice of scholarship offers from Bethel University (Tennessee), Simpson University (California) or Kentucky Christian University.

The team of Morehead and Valerius from McCracken County High School also wrapped up a really good week of fishing with a three fish limit of 10-12, good for ninth place. Andrew Douglas and Allen Mullins from Calloway County High School was another successful local team that placed 13th with a three fish limit of 9-05.

Thomas and Barrett on stage at Saturday’s weigh-in. Their three fish limit of 11-06 was good for eighth place at the World Finals on Pickwick Lake.
Tristan Barrett (left) along with his mom Trish Freeland and Harlan Thomas and his mom Chrissy Wallace, wait patiently during Friday’s weigh-in to see if the twosome qualified for the World Finals on Saturday.
Evan Bremmerkamp (left) and Nathan Steele competed in the High School National Championship and World Finals, finishing 65th and 134th.
Tristan Barrett and Harlan Thomas received scholarship offers from two universities for their eighth place finish in the High School Fishing World Championships.