By Cyote Williams | Times Vedette
On April 27, the SAF/TBF High School Bass Fishing Iowa State Championships were held at the Okoboji Chain of Lakes. As we had reported previously, several Panorama athletes were competing with the Central Iowa Student Anglers team against 45 other high schools. Nolan Ponstein and Cole Carstens teamed up and earned a first-place finish with a five-fish weight of 20.60 pounds, with a 5.7 pound kicker fish. The other Panorama team of Gavin Lindstrom and Blake Schwartz finished fourth with a five-fish weight of 16.69 pounds. That means that both Panorama teams qualified for the National Championships at South Carolina’s Lake Hartwell on June 19-22.
The 15th annual National Championships will give student anglers the chance to compete for scholarships and prizes. Students will fish for a minimum of three days. Day 1 and 2 will determine if teams make the final cut, or what is called Judgement Day, which will be held on Friday, June 22. The top two from each state advance to the semi-finals on Friday, and the top 10 overall advance to the National Championship finals. All other schools will compete in the Second Chance round. The top 20 teams from Friday will advance to the World Championships, held that Saturday.