SALISBURY — East Rowan High School students Hunter Harwood of Gold Hill and Paiton File of Salisbury won the 2017 FLW High School Fishing North Carolina Open tournament on High Rock Lake, according to a news release.

The win advanced the team to the 2017 High School Fishing National championship, to be held June 27-July 1 at Pickwick Lake in Florence, Alabama.

According to post-tournament reports, the two caught their fish targeting muddy water in coves with a spinnerbait.

A field of 18 teams competed in the tournament, which launched from Tamarac Marina and Campground in Salisbury. Nine of the 18 teams competing managed to bring a keeper bass to the scale. In FLW/TBF High School Fishing competition, the top 10 percent of teams advance to the High School Fishing National Championship.

The top team on High Rock Lake that advanced to the championship was East Rowan’s Harwood and File with three bass, 13-0.

The other local teams that brought fish to the scale were:

• Second: East Rowan High School, Colton Carico and Lucas Hedrick, both of Salisbury (three bass, 12-2).

• Fourth: West Rowan High School, Lane Adkins of Cleveland and Zeb Burns of Salisbury (two bass, 6-11).

• Sixth: West Rowan, Austin Wike of China Grove and Alex Williams of Cleveland (two bass, 5-8).

• Eighth: East Rowan, Teddy Drew of Gold Hill and Cole Mabry of Richfield (one bass, 3-13).

Complete results and photos of the top five teams can be found at FLWFishing.com.

The 2017 FLW High School Fishing North Carolina Open was a two-person team event for students in grades seven through 12, open to any Student Angler Federation-affiliated high school club. The top 10 percent in each challenge, open and state championship field will advance to the national championship. The national champions will each receive a $5,000 college scholarship to the school of their choice.

In addition to the championship, all High School Fishing anglers nationwide automatically qualify for the world’s largest high school bass tournament, the 2017 High School Fishing World Finals, held in conjunction with the national Cchampionship. At the 2016 World Finals, more than $60,000 in scholarships and prizes were awarded.

Full schedules and the latest announcements are available at HighSchoolFishing.org and FLWFishing.com.