LEESBURG, Fla. (Jan. 8, 2024) – The MLF High School Fishing team of Dylan Quilatan of Windermere, Florida, and Tommy Rust of Winter Springs, Florida, representing Club Florida, brought five bass to the scale Sunday weighing 29 pounds even to win the MLF Abu Garcia High School Fishing Open at Harris Chain of Lakes in Leesburg, Florida.
A field of 38 teams competed in the no-entry fee tournament, which was hosted by Discover Lake County Florida. In MLF High School Fishing competition, the top 10 percent of teams competing advance to the High School Fishing National Championship.
The top three teams that advanced to the 2024 High School Fishing National Championship are:
1st: Club Florida – Dylan Quilatan, Windermere, Fla., and Tommy Rust, Winter Springs, Fla., five bass, 29-0
2nd: Alcoa Fishing Team, Alcoa, Tenn. – Walker Larue and Joe Vaulton, five bass, 17-8
3rd: Heard County High School, Franklin, Ga. – Blalock Eskew and Ellis Turner, five bass, 17-6
Rounding out the top 10 teams were:
4th: Covington Catholic High School, Park Hills, Ky. – Phoenix Parks and Brandon Smith, five bass, 14-1
5th: Central Florida Youth Anglers – Ryder Krueger, Myakka City, Fla., and Carson Yero, Lake Placid, Fla., five bass, 14-1
6th: Kaneland High School, Maple Park, Ill. – J.D. McBroom and Carter Pjesky, four bass, 11-2
7th: Lakeland Junior Hawg Hunters, Lakeland, Fla. – Jaxon Johnson and Brody Kauffman, five bass, 10-0
8th: Williston Middle High School, Williston, Fla. – Wylie North and Wyatt North, five bass, 9-4
9th: HS Potomac River Bass Master – Jarren Crowder, Clearspring, Md., and Zach Schrock, Williamsport, Md., five bass, 8-13
10th: Denmark High School, Alpharetta, Ga. – Diego Alea and Carson Taylor, four bass, 8-8
MLF Abu Garcia High School Fishing presented by Tackle Warehouse tournaments are free, two-person (team) events for students in grades 7-12 and are open to any MLF and TBF Student Angler Federation-affiliated high school club. The top 10 percent of teams at each Open event, along with the TBF High School Fishing state championships, advance to the High School Fishing National Championship. Tournaments held on or before May 6, 2024, advance teams to the 2024 National Championship. Tournaments held after May 6, 2024, advance teams to the 2025 National Championship.