Two Students on a Fishing Boat

Drayton Standridge and Alex Gilingham Win Team of the Year in Arkansas Bassmaster High School Series 

In October, the first ever Arkansas Bassmaster High School Series, sanctioned by Bass Angler Sportsman Society (B.A.S.S), held their first fishing tournament ever on Lake Hamilton. There were two divisions: high school and junior. Drayton Standridge (12) and Alex Gilingham (13) both of Sheridan fished the junior division representing Sheridan Schools. They went on to win the first tournament and also had fourth place finishes in the next two events. On April 14-15 at Lake Ouachita, they competed in the Arkansas Bassmaster High School Series Championship. Gilingham & Standridge won first place with a two-day total weight of over 18-pounds and also took the big bass award by catching a 4.46-pound lunker. This first-place finish pushed their total points for the year to the top of the leader board which earned them Team of the Year. Prizes and cash for the year totaled over $1,000 each.