2008 Woodie Awards
Fishing for funds
Athletic department to host ice fishing contest for Maverick Scholarship Fund Sunday
by Tyler Buckentine
Issue date: 1/24/08
Section: Campus News
The Minnesota State Intercollegiate Athletic Department is ready to give this thing another shot.
It will host the first annual Big Bobber Ice Fishing Contest Sunday on Lake Washington at Westwood Marina about eight miles northwest of Mankato.
Registration and hole selection begins at 10 a.m. and fishing kicks off at noon and is open to the public. The non-refundable tickets are $40 and proceeds got to the Maverick Scholarship Fund.
The inaugural contest was supposed to take place last January, but mild temperatures forced its cancellation due to insufficient ice.
"Last year was a huge thaw and we ended up with about five inches of ice," said contest director Cheryl Regan. "We knew it wasn't going to be safe."
With help from the recent deep-freeze that has kept Minnesota frigid, there should be no problems with the ice, but temperatures are expected to rise to the 20s just in time for comfortable fishing weather.
The contestant who catches the largest fish will be awarded $2,500. There will be more cash and prizes given to the top 100 placers.
But it's not all about catching fish. The purpose of the event is to benefit MSU Athletics.
"We have to raise something like $1.5 million for scholarships every year," Regan said. "This is an event that is new and we hope that it will build into something that will annually raise money for scholarships."
The benefit is especially helpful since MSU is leaving the folding North Central Conference for the expanding Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference where there are less available scholarships.
"We don't get money handed to us by anyone for scholarships," Regan said.
"We work really hard to organize fun events for the public but the bottom line is that we need to raise money for our men's and women's athletic programs."
Tyler Buckentine is the Reporter sports editor
It will host the first annual Big Bobber Ice Fishing Contest Sunday on Lake Washington at Westwood Marina about eight miles northwest of Mankato.
Registration and hole selection begins at 10 a.m. and fishing kicks off at noon and is open to the public. The non-refundable tickets are $40 and proceeds got to the Maverick Scholarship Fund.
The inaugural contest was supposed to take place last January, but mild temperatures forced its cancellation due to insufficient ice.
"Last year was a huge thaw and we ended up with about five inches of ice," said contest director Cheryl Regan. "We knew it wasn't going to be safe."
With help from the recent deep-freeze that has kept Minnesota frigid, there should be no problems with the ice, but temperatures are expected to rise to the 20s just in time for comfortable fishing weather.
The contestant who catches the largest fish will be awarded $2,500. There will be more cash and prizes given to the top 100 placers.
But it's not all about catching fish. The purpose of the event is to benefit MSU Athletics.
"We have to raise something like $1.5 million for scholarships every year," Regan said. "This is an event that is new and we hope that it will build into something that will annually raise money for scholarships."
The benefit is especially helpful since MSU is leaving the folding North Central Conference for the expanding Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference where there are less available scholarships.
"We don't get money handed to us by anyone for scholarships," Regan said.
"We work really hard to organize fun events for the public but the bottom line is that we need to raise money for our men's and women's athletic programs."
Tyler Buckentine is the Reporter sports editor
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