Teammates Hayden Fry and Griffin Geiss brought home the gold with a weigh-in of 12 pounds 15 ounces for their five fish on Lake Waubesa in July! Fry and Geiss are members of the Brookfield East Anglers, a fishing team that is part of the B.A.S.S. Nation (Bassmaster Series) which hosts fishing tournaments throughout the state and country. The state championship was hosted by the Student Angler Federation (also known as TBF), which is a part of B.A.S.S. Nation, but the BEHS team competes in bass tournaments during fishing season and also prioritizes outings like ice fishing, and weekend trips all throughout the year.
Fry (Class of ‘23) started the BEHS Anglers when he was a freshman and has built the team to now include over 60 students that participate in both competitive and club sides to the team! “This win was an accumulation of three years of learning and some amazing experiences,” reflected Fry. Hayden thanked the parents who served as advisors to the team, his fellow co-captains, and Ben Westphal, Associate Principal for Athletics & Activities, for all of their support in starting up and maintaining the program.
“Fishing is just an add-on to the day - the team really pushes you to excel in your academics first and foremost,” Hayden stated. “Fishcare is always number one for me, it’s an important part of the tournaments to make sure your fish are healthy and able to be re-released.” Thanks to their victory at state, Fry and Geiss qualify for scholarship opportunities through the sport.
Additional state qualifiers on the team included Dugan Hansen, Oliver Coakley, Noah Jaeger, and Carter Savagian. The state champions were recognized by the Board of Education at its August 9th meeting. Fry and Geiss will compete in the TBF Adult Semifinals in Minnesota this September and compete against champion teams from each state next summer in La Crosse, WI on the Mississippi River.
You can read more coverage on the team’s state tournament here. Photos below.