WADDINGTON — The 20th Annual St. Lawrence International Jr. Carp Tournament will be held on Aug. 3-5.
To commemorate this milestone, organizers are planning some special events, including inviting all Grand Champions to return, along with others who were instrumental in the event’s popularity and success throughout the years since 2003.
To celebrate the milestone anniversary of the event this year there will be four Grand Marshals to keep things moving along, two to honor past events and two to honor future tournaments.
Honoring the future will be Kaylee Green of Potsdam and Jaron Belmore of Norwood.
Both participated in the tournament as soon as they were eligible, and fished each year afterwards until they aged out at 18.
Green and Belmore each won numerous awards over the years, but most notably Belmore was named Grand Champion in 2019, and Kaylee took 2nd place in her division during her first (2015) and last (2022) years in the tournament, said organizers.
“My favorite part is the family atmosphere,” Green said. “Catching a big fish is the best but you don’t have to win to have a great time.”
Belmore said the event helped him get outside his comfort zone, while meeting new people and building new relationships. “(And) reeling in a carp is exhilarating,” Belmore said.
They will visit each of the fishing sites throughout the tournament to mentor and assist the kids.
Honoring the past will be Potsdam resident Abby McNamara, and Clarksville, NY resident Austin Delosh.
These two favorites have been regulars at the annual tournament, with Abby planning, organizing and stepping in as Weigh Master, when needed, and Austin, with participating himself for 8 years, and then marshaling and mentoring.
“We’re very proud of this milestone anniversary, but even more excited to celebrate those years by highlighting the people, experiences and memorable moments that span 20 years,” said Jo Ann Roberts, long-time organizer of the tournament.
The…
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