BOULDER, COLORADO. as three East-Coasters–two from North Carolina–rolled into Colorado and took home the top three spots in the 3-day fish-off. Veteran competitive angler George Daniel, from State College, Pennsylvania, rallied from fourth place on Thursday to earn the individual title, securing himself a spot on the team that will head to the 2008 World Championships in the unbelievably sweet venue of New Zealand.Josh Stevens, from Robbinsville, North Carolina, and Eddie Pinkston, from Asheville, North Carolina, both edged out regional veteran and Boise resident Pete Erickson to earn guaranteed spots on the team. However, it is likely that Erickson and other top finishers will be appointed to the team by the selection committee.
This was the second year that the team was chosen through a competitive selection process, which has been the method other countries have used for years. Though Team USA has never won at the World Championships–now in its 28th year–it did have its best finish ever in 2007, besting powerhouse England for the second time and bringing home sixth place from Finland