Kevin VanDam

AOY: Classic qualifying berths determined

June 21, 2010
(bassmaster.com, June 21, 2010)

MUSKOGEE, Okla. — After an eight-event regular season stretching from California to Georgia, a bevy of Bassmaster Elite Series anglers were able to cash in on the fruits of their labor Sunday in the form of Bassmaster Classic berths. The final Elite event of the regular season, the AutoZone Sooner Run on Fort Gibson Lake, is in the books and with that, 37 anglers grabbed a coveted qualifying spot into the 2011 Bassmaster Classic.

While BASS qualifies 36 anglers for the Classic based on their ranking in the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year race, because 2010 Classic champion Kevin Vandam of Kalamazoo, Mich., automatically qualifies and was sixth in the AOY points, the 37th angler, Paul Elias of Laurel, Miss., also gets in.

The 2010 Bassmaster Classic is set for Feb. 18-20 on the Louisiana Delta out of New Orleans.

While Elias finished strong — he scored a 16th place finish at the Sooner Run — a trio of BASS veterans were able to land their Classic berths despite missing the top 47 cut at the Oklahoma Elite event. Still, Kevin Wirth of Crestwood, Ky., (34th); Kelly Jordon of Mineola, Texas (35th) and Terry Scroggins (36th) of San Mateo, Florida, did just enough during the course of the season to sneak in. Each angler holds a Classic qualifying streak of at least five consecutive.

“I felt sick because I thought I cost myself a Classic berth here,” said Wirth, who will fish in his 10th consecutive Classic in 2011. “That’s what we fish for. To get into that Classic and have a shot at the top prize. Plus, the exposure opportunities are incredible.”

Joining the 37 Elite qualifiers in the 50-angler Classic field will be six BASS Federation Nation anglers who will qualify via the Federation Nation National Championship (Oct. 27-29; Red River; Shreveport, La.); two each from the Bassmaster Southern, Central and Northern Opens; and the winner of the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Weekend Series Operated by American Bass Anglers Championship. The field will be vying for a $500,000 top prize. In the case of anglers who qualify through two avenues, BASS will work down through the Elite Series’ AOY standings. That means all is not lost for the 38th placed competitor. In fact, in 2009, BASS worked down to the 39th spot in the AOY rankings due to anglers who double qualified via both the Opens and Elite Series.

Jared Lintner of Arroyo Grande, Calif., would be the first angler to qualify in the case of a double qualifier. The final list of the AOY regular-season standings is the following:

2010 Muskogee, OK: Points Ending 06-20-2010, Day 4
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Place Name St Pts
—————————————————————- 1 Skeet Reese Calif. 2116 2 Edwin Evers Okla. 2010 3 Cliff Pace Miss. 1868 4 Derek Remitz Ala. 1854 5 Terry Butcher Okla. 1841 6 Kevin VanDam Mich. 1825 7 Tommy Biffle Okla. 1801 8 John Crews Va. 1792 9 Gary Klein Texas 1771 10 Greg Hackney La. 1767 11 Russ Lane Ala. 1766 11 Aaron Martens Ala. 1766 13 Brian Snowden Mo. 1732 14 Mark Davis Ark. 1726 15 Mike McClelland Ark. 1723 16 Todd Faircloth Texas 1712 17 Scott Rook Ark. 1705 18 Morizo Shimizu Japan 1690 19 Matt Herren Ala. 1686 20 Bill Lowen Ohio 1669 21 Stephen Browning Ark. 1663 22 Michael Iaconelli N.J. 1644 23 Dave Wolak N.C. 1643 24 Shaw Grigsby Fla. 1622 25 Boyd Duckett Ala. 1618 26 Bobby Lane Fla. 1608 26 Jeff Kriet Okla. 1608 28 Gerald Swindle Ala. 1601 29 Jason Williamson S.C. 1597 30 Greg Vinson Ala. 1578 31 Steve Kennedy Ala. 1573 32 Dean Rojas Ariz. 1572 33 Brent Chapman Kan. 1547 34 Kevin Wirth Ky. 1546 35 Kelly Jordon Texas 1531 36 Terry Scroggins Fla. 1530 37 Paul Elias Miss. 1525 38 Jared Lintner Calif. 1513 39 Mark Tucker Mo. 1502 40 Bradley Roy Ky. 1475 40 Davy Hite S.C. 1475 40 Rick Morris Va. 1475 43 Marty Robinson S.C. 1471 44 Pat Golden N.C. 1453 45 Clark Reehm Ark. 1450 46 Casey Ashley S.C. 1439 47 Dustin Wilks N.C. 1433 48 Denny Brauer Mo. 1427 49 James Niggemeyer Texas 1425 50 Mark Menendez Ky. 1423 51 Timmy Horton Ala. 1422 52 Cliff Crochet La. 1414 53 Jason Quinn S.C. 1412 54 Takahiro Omori Texas 1406 55 Matt Reed Texas 1405 56 Alton Jones Texas 1397 57 Randy Howell Ala. 1382 58 Kenyon Hill Okla. 1378 59 Billy McCaghren Ark. 1374 60 Ish Monroe Calif. 1368 61 Marty Stone N.C. 1364 62 Pete Ponds Miss. 1360 63 Kevin Short Ark. 1354 64 Kotaro Kiriyama Ala. 1352 65 Bradley Hallman Okla. 1350 65 Peter Thliveros Fla. 1350 67 Guy Eaker N.C. 1339 68 J Todd Tucker Ga. 1334 69 Zell Rowland Texas 1327 70 Rick Clunn Mo. 1317 71 Chris Lane Ala. 1288 72 Jami Fralick S.D. 1286 73 Keith Poche Ala. 1276 74 Mark Tyler Okla. 1274 75 Grant Goldbeck Md. 1266 76 Chad Griffin Texas 1260 77 Byron Velvick Texas 1247 78 Jeff Connella La. 1246 79 Bernie Schultz Fla. 1228 80 Britt Myers S.C. 1226 81 Matt Greenblatt Fla. 1225 82 Fred Roumbanis Okla. 1213 83 Charlie Hartley Ohio 1210 84 John Murray Ariz. 1186 85 Wade Grooms S.C. 1156 86 Yusuke Miyazaki Texas 1144 87 Vince Fulks Okla. 1132 88 Dennis Tietje La. 1096 89 Byron Haseotes Mass. 1010 90 Jeremy Starks W.Va. 990 91 David Smith Okla. 988 92 Mark Burgess Mass. 970 93 Scott Ashmore Okla. 906

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