Two local youths from the San Joaquin BassMasters recently qualified to compete in the 15th annual High School Fishing World Finals and National Championship on Lake Hartwell in Anderson, South Carolina, from June 19-22.
As a result of points earned during the past season and a fourth-place finish in the State Qualifier at Ladd's/Buckley Cove on the Delta with 18.97 pounds of fish at weigh-in, recent Manteca High graduate Zackary Anderson, 18, and Niko Mirante, 14, of Copperopolis, punched their ticket to the big time.
“This is great,” Anderson said. “It is a huge accomplishment, something I have been working on for years and finally I got it. Niko has been at it for a while, as well, and we recently started working together.
“We couldn’t do this without the club support with the funding and the help.”
Anderson and Mirante participate in San Joaquin BassMasters, and they take every opportunity to get out on the water. Anderson has been with San Joaquin BassMasters since its inception five years ago, and Mirante is a newer member but did not waste any time getting caught up to speed on the competition and to join with Anderson to make a strong team ready now for Nationals.
Both are dedicated to their family, friends and fishing. They show professionalism and sportsmanship to other teammates. When they are not on the water, they are avid outdoorsmen, and spend time volunteering to support their communities.
This is a great opportunity for both Anderson and Mirante to gain exposure to the big leagues, as they both wish to advance their skill sets in bass fishing and maybe one day become professional anglers.
Anderson and Mirante leave for their 5,000-mile round-trip journey on June 11, pulling their boat by truck for the long trek. In order to help with fundraising, search “San Joaquin BassMaster” on GoFundMe.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/anderson-mirante-its-official-heading-to-hs-nationals?utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet&utm_medium=copy_link_all&utm_source=customer
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