CBAA Names Lake Eufaula, OK as Championship Venue for Regional Events

Plymouth, Indiana  – Lake Eufaula, OK will see history made on June 21^st & 22^nd , 2008 as the Collegiate Bass Anglers Association brings the inaugural Big 12 Championship and Heartland Regional to the waters of the “Gentle Giant”.  The Big 12 Championship is something that has been asked for and an event that we have had in the works for sometime.  We (CBAA) made business decisions over the winter which has allowed us to develop new relationships which have brought these plans to fruition this year… we are excited about this opportunity to provide this event for the student anglers of the Big 12 and Heartland area”.  Said Mark Heckaman, CBAA Deputy Commissioner.   

Well known to Sooner anglers, Lake Eufaula is the largest lake in Oklahoma that offers over 600 miles of beautiful shoreline (102,000 acres) and has become known as a mecca for fisherman and recognized for its outstanding fishery with black bass reaching record size.  This Gentle Giant has such diversity and size creating a diverse variety of structure to fish for bass.  If you like to fish stumps, willows, bucks, bushes, rocks, creeks river channels, or flats, Eufaula has bass for you.”  Lake Eufaula Association (LEA).     

 “The Big 12 / Heartland region has some of the best amateur anglers and college programs in the country, we are happy to have formed key partnerships that now allow us to provide this opportunity to show case their skills, sportsmanship and the sport of collegiate angling,  what a tremendous time for our sport.”  Troy Heckaman, CBAA Commissioner 

“When we were working with Troy on starting a club on campus, he said that they (CBAA) wanted to organize a Big 12 championship and here it is, thank you CBAA, it’s going to be great… The Big 12 is very competitive by nature with some very good teams; who ever wins the championship will have deserved it! We will be fishing hard for a Husker’s win”.  Tony Cimino – Nebraska Club President. 

Oklahoma State University will serve as the host team for the inaugural Big 12 Championship.   Probable contestants for the 2008 Big 12 title include anglers from traditional Big 12 (NCAA) institutions that include; Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, University of Texas, Texas Tech, Baylor, Colorado, Nebraska, Iowa State, Kansas State, Missouri and Texas A&M.  Any student anglers representing an officially recognized student organization are welcome to participate and compete in the Heartland Regional on Saturday June 21^st in a single day tournament. The 2008 Heartland Regional Champion will be crowned at Saturday’s weigh in.  Big 12 competitors will see Saturday also function as day one of a two day Big 12 contest.  Big 12 anglers will return on Sunday June 22^nd for Championship Day where the Big 12 title will be determined.  Official sign in, pre-tournament meeting and dinner will be hosted by Jelly Stone Park and the Eufaula Lake Association on Friday June 20^th. 

“During my association with the CBAA as an Athlete Advisory Council (AAC) member, the Council has work closely with the CBAA leadership on a variety of issues, one of which was the development of the CBAA competition model that will be implemented for the first time at Eufaula.  A goal of CBAA programs is to provide quality localized opportunities for all college anglers, this model does that… I can’t wait to get on the water and get after it; it’s going to be awesome.”  Duane Bagley- Sterling College  

 “The CBAA format allows the greatest number of opportunities locally for student anglers and the responsible stewardship of resources… Our competition and ranking model is team based and both championships (Big 12 & Heartland) will be determined by the overall success of each schools team performance rather than only a schools highest finishing boat… and I am pleased to report that this model was developed by members of our AAC to level the playing field for all teams and it has been battle tested the past two years at the CBAA Big 10 Championship where it has proven to be popular.”   Related CBAA Commissioner Troy Heckaman.   

“Legend Boats is proud to be affiliated with the CBAA and the inaugural Big 12 Championship as well as the Heartland open.  We are committed to promoting youth participation in outdoor activities particularly fishing and look forward to the opportunities in the future.”  Duane Hanshew – Legend Boats Ltd. 

The Collegiate Bass Anglers Association is excited to bring this event to the Eufaula area and surrounding communities and would like to thank Legend Boats, Bass Edge, Lake Eufaula Association (its partners), Midwest Trophy and Jelly Stone Park for supporting student anglers of the Big 12 and Heartland.  For additional information about the 2008 Heartland Open and Big 12 Championships please contact the CBAA at info@collegiatebass.org or via phone at 574.780.4390.        

Collegiate Bass Anglers Association (CBAA) is an independent and neutral national amateur athletic organization functioning uniquely as the sanctioning body of collegiate angling.  CBAA is dedicated to the recruitment and retention our next generation of anglers, vigilantly pursuing the promotion and enhancement of intercollegiate angling as a unified and standardized collegiate sport.  CBAA 2008 >< ( ( ( ‘>