Youth advance to championship events

Updated: May 20, 2008, 6:26 PM ET

Youth advance to championship events

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By Andy Crawford
Bassmaster Senior Writer
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Andy CrawfordJoey Nania of Washington, left, won the 15- to 18-year-old division of the Junior Bassmaster Western Divisional, while Idaho's Patrick Meades took the 11- to 14-year-old title.

COEUR D'ALENE — The Western Divisional representatives to the 2008 Junior World Championship and the CastingKids Championship were decided today.

In the Junior Bassmasters competition held on Coeur d'Alene Lake, Washington's Joey Nania earned the top honors in the 15- to 18-year-old division with one of only two five-fish limits to be brought to the scales in the event. Nania's fish tipped the scales at 9 pounds, 2 ounces.

NEW
GALLERY

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This will be the third JWC for Nania, who competed in the 2005 and 2006 championships. He won the 2005 JWC event.

Idaho's Patrick Meads won the 11- to 14-year-old Junior Bassmaster division with three fish weighing 5 pounds, 10 ounces.

In the 7- to 10-year-old CastingKids divisions, Oregon's Hunter Hutchinson and Russ Blattner of Idaho each scored 130 points during the initial round. That sent the two to a cast-off, and Hutchinson emerged the winner after repeated ties with Blattner.

Andy CrawfordOregon's Hunter Hutchinson, left, will represent the Western Division in the CastingKids Championship in the 7- to 10-year-old division. Joining him will be Jacob Wall of Oregon, who won the 11- to 14-year-old age class for the 2nd time in as many years

Jacob Wall of Oregon defeated his 2007 regional win in the 11- to 14-year-old division with a score of 140 points.

The JWC and CastingKids Championship will be held in conjunction with the BASS Federation Nation National Cahmpionship, which will be held Nov. 3-8 at Kansas' Milford Lake.