|
By LOGAN HAWKES
Port Isabel-South Padre PRESS
University of Texas-Pan Am Athletic Director Scott Street says he couldn’t be more pleased with the first ever B.A. I. T. Fishing Tournament held over the weekend on the Island. The tournament represents one of many fundraising events designed to help the University in its bid to fund athletic scholarships to deserving students.
"We have been able to award scholarship assistance to about 200 students this year thanks largely to events like this one," said Street during a special Captain’s appreciation dinner at Louie’s Backyard Saturday evening. "For our first ever Bronc Athletic Invitational Tournament (B.A.I.T.), I would say we did quite well."
The tournament pitted 36 anglers in a contest for redfish, trout and flounder, an event heavily sponsored by a number of corporate sponsors.
"We need about $1.3 million in scholarship assistance to help all the deserving student athletes this year and this tournament helps along the way to achieving our goal," adds Street. "We’re building for the future now and have already set a date for next year’s tournament."
In addition to the fishing tournament event, the University’s athletic department has staged a number of other fundraising projects this year including a golf tournament and a murder mystery dinner in Sharyland.
"The future looks bright for UTPA athletics. In just a few days, on May 31, we’ll be staging our UTPA Athletic Hall of Fame program where we will honor athletes of the past and induct a number of nominees into the fold," Street adds.
But Street says it’s not all about athletics. A primary objective of his administration is to help students do well academically.
"Our University athletes scored a 3.7 grade point average this year and 67 of them made the Dean’s list, so we are making good headway in not only building bodies but in building young minds," Street added.
Winners of this year’s tournament included Mike Brown, the Grand Slam winner who netted the most weight in all three categories. Brown’s 6.8 pound redfish, 2.7 pound trout and 2.1 pound trout gave him the best overall catch weight. Brown was awarded $500 and a trophy for his efforts. Dr. Steven Wright finished 2nd in the Grand Slam and Joe Lindemann finished third.
In addition, individual winners were crowned for the largest red, largest trout and largest flounder. Trey Garza snatched the honors for the biggest redfish with a 7.926 pounder; David Watson caught the biggest trout, weighing in at 3.97 pounds; and Mike Brown’s 2.17 pound flounder won top awards in that category.
A total of 36 anglers participated in the event. Corporate sponsors included Skanska, who donated a total of $9,200.00 in support of the event, the South Texan Sportsman, United Health Care, Rio Health Medical, Woodlands Contract Food Services, and Affectionate Home Care.
B.A.I.T. Rules & Regulations
Registration and Competitor's Meeting: All contestants are encouraged to the Captain's Meeting that will be held at Louies Backyard in South Padre Island on Friday, May 2, 2008. Registration begins at 5:00 p.m. The Captain's meeting begins at 6:30 p.m.
Tournament Entry Fee: Entry fee for B.A.I.T. is $100 per angler. A late registration fee of $125.00 will apply on May 2, 2008. The entry fee must be paid before May 3, 2008. Once accepted into the tournament, all entry fees are non-refundable and non-transferable.
Individual Numbers: Numbers will be assigned based on the day and time of entry and will be posted at the time of registration. Numbers are to be displayed on the port (left) side of the motor cowling at the top.
Weigh In: The weigh in scale will be open beginning at 11 a.m. Tournament standings shall be determined by the accumulated weight measured in pounds and 1000ths of a pound of each angler's catch during the tournament. Only redfish/red drum, trout and flounder will be weighed, the limit shall be one (1) fish per species. The legal length for redfish shall be not less than 20-inches and not more than 28-inches, in accordance with Texas Parks & Wildlife regulations. The official measuring board will be on display at the Captain's Meeting.
Tournament Champion: the heaviest accumulated total weight of the 3 eligible fish species weighed in will be awarded the Grand Champion. In the event of a tie, the earliest weigh in time will be the determining factor in making the decision.
Official Checkpoints and Official Clock: There will be only one official checkpoint for boat check-in in the afternoon. All fishing must cease upon check-in. Boats must check in by 3:00 p.m. at the Fresh Live Bait Pier for the B.A.I.T. weigh in on May 3, 2008. The official clock will be displayed at the weigh in scale beginning at 11:00 a.m. on tournament day.
Sportsmanship: All contestants are required to practice courtesy, safety and follow Texas Parks & Wildlife regulations. Anyone displaying poor sportsmanship or violating game laws will be disqualified.
State (TPWD) Laws: All contestants are required to follow all applicable Texas Parks & Wildlife regulations and laws. Any violation of such rules will result in disqualification from the tournament.
Protests: All protests must be submitted in writing, along with a potentially refundable $100. The decision of the tournament director and tournament committee will be final. If the protest is upheld, the $100 deposit will be refunded. All decisions made by the tournament director and or tournament committee will be final in all matters. The tournament director and/or the tournament committee can make a change when the safety of a contestant is in question. Read the following rules prior to signing the entry form.
  
 
 | 
