Okeechobee High School Wins U.S. Army High School Fishing Open at Harris Chain of Lakes
LEESBURG, Fla. (Feb. 15, 2021) – The Okeechobee High School duo of Tyler Scott and Zack Zainitzer, both of Palm City, Florida, won the U.S. Army High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing Open at the Harris Chain of Lakes on Saturday in Leesburg, Florida. The event was hosted by Visit Lake County, Florida and the victory advanced the winning team to the 2021 U.S. Army High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing National Championship.
TOP 10 RESULTS
| RANK | SCHOOL/CLUB NAME/CITY | ANGLER NAME | BASS | WEIGHT |
| 1st | Okeechobee High School* | Tyler Scott Zack Zainitzer |
5 | 23-3 |
| 2nd | Southern Boone High School* | Isaac Jacober Nathan Vandelicht |
5 | 19-5 |
| 3rd | Marion County Bass Masters* | Claude Loftin Tyson Verkaik |
5 | 17-8 |
| 4th | Oneida Lake Bassmasters Club | Christian Misciagna Owen Niles |
3 | 17-2 |
| 5th | Harmony High School | Grant Jackson Grady Johnson |
5 | 17-1 |
| 6th | Umatilla High School | Hayden Mooney Owen Vanzant |
5 | 15-1 |
| 7th | Hidden Lake Big Bass Club | Dalton Defelice Elijah Meyers |
5 | 15-0 |
| 8th | Central Florida Youth Anglers | Bryce Balentine Carson Russell |
5 | 14-8 |
| 9th | Mulberry Bassmasters Club | Andrew Ready Garrett Thomas |
5 | 13-11 |
| 10th | Detroit Lakes High School | Anthony Bender Noah Besser |
5 | 13-3 |
*National Championship Qualifier. The top 10% of teams advance to the 2021 U.S. Army High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing National Championship
Complete results from the event can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
2021 UPCOMING QUALIFICATION OPPORTUNITIES
| EVENT | DATE | LOCATION | HOST |
| U.S. Army High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing Table Rock Lake Open | Mar. 27 | Branson, Mo. | Explore Branson |
| 2021 U.S. Army High School Fishing National Championship & World Finals | Jun. 30 – Jul. 3 | Lake Hartwell, Anderson, S.C. | Anderson Convention & Visitors Bureau |
The first 25 high school teams that enter each U.S. Army High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing tournament will receive a free Favorite Fishing package, including one Favorite Fishing casting rod and reel, one Favorite Fishing spinning rod and reel, six packs of Googan Baits and two Favorite Fishing hats, a total package value of $230. Most tournaments will also be hosted by a Bass Pro Tour angler or Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit angler, giving high school students the chance to meet the sport’s top pros. As an added bonus, the winning team at each tournament will receive a guided fishing trip with their pro angler host.
U.S. Army High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing tournaments are free, two-person (team) events for students in grades 7-12 and are open to any MLF and 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 will advance to the 2021 U.S. Army High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing National Championship. The U.S. Army High School Fishing national champions will each receive a $5,000 college scholarship to the school of their choice.
In addition to the U.S. Army High School Fishing National Championship, all High School Fishing anglers nationwide automatically qualify for the world’s largest open high school bass tournament, the 2021 High School Fishing World Finals, held in conjunction with the National Championship. More than $2.8 million in scholarships and prizes were offered at the 2020 World Finals.
Full schedules and the latest announcements, photos and articles are available at HighSchoolFishing.org and MajorLeagueFishing.com.
