BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — For the third consecutive year, 12 standout high school anglers have been selected as members of the exclusive Bassmaster High School All-American Fishing Team presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods, and Southwest Missouri has a representative.
Dalton Combs, a junior at Ozark High School, was selected out of the more than 380 applications from students grades 10-12 across 40 states.
Combs has earned seven Top 20 finishes, including a win in a Southwest Missouri High School Fishing Association event on Table Rock Lake. Combs fishes events with his sister, Keeley, and the team had the highest points and total weight caught over three qualifying events with more than 170 other teams.
“Dalton has placed in nearly every tournament that he has participated in, and he and his partner were crowned the very first Missouri State champions in the Missouri Teen Angler Tournament Series,” wrote Jeremy Sisco, Ozark High School fishing coach.
In addition to his tournament success, Combs helps with the Fishing for Dreams organization, which gives children with disabilities an opportunity to get out on the water. Combs believes in keeping the lake environment as clean as possible. He has organized shoreline trash pickups on Table Rock Lake, as well as taught other anglers about the importance of maintaining a clean, zebra mussel-free boat.
“We are proud to welcome an exceptional group of anglers to our 2017 class of High School All-Americans,” said Bruce Akin, B.A.S.S. CEO. “Each year we see competitive applications from across the country and every angler is so impressive. This class is made up of exceptional young fishermen who also excel in academics, conservation initiatives and community service.”
The team has been invited to participate in a special Bassmaster High School All-American Bass Tournament being held in conjunction with the 2017 Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest benefiting the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department event, a fan-favorite festival that will be held May 17-21 on Sam Rayburn Reservoir out of Lufkin, Texas. Each All-American angler will be paired with an Elite Series pro for the one-day derby to be held on a nearby fishery.
