She is only 14 and already living up to the family name.
Makayla Champion is having a very successful first year in competitive bass fishing, following in the footsteps of her father, professional angler Ron Champion, and her brother Branton, one of the elite high school anglers in Georgia while at Richmond Hill and now a freshman on scholarship at Emmanuel University.
“I don’t really have any pressure,” said Makaya, an eighth-grader at Richmond Hill Middle School, “because I feel like I’m normally going to do good if they teach me.”
Her primary teacher for her whole life has been Ron Champion, who has traveled the world competing in pro tournaments and can fill a room with his trophies. Branton, 18, and now Makayla share the same passion for competitive fishing.
PHOTO: Makayla Champion (left) shares a proud moment with her coach and father, professional angler Ron Champion, after another strong showing on the water.
“It’s just what we do,” said Ron Champion, who has served as boat captain for his son and now his daughter in competitions. “There’s no pressure. I never put pressure on these kids to play sports.”
Makayla, in fact, played other sports for the middle school – basketball and softball – as well as year-round as a pitcher/outfielder for the Cage travel team (Brown 14-under) out of the Jesup area.
“I kind of like them all the same,” said Makayla, who also tried track and field (shot put and discus) in the seventh grade. “I like team sports because everyone works together and it’s more fun when you’re doing it with other people.”
As one would expect in this family, she got into fishing first.
“She’s been fishing since she could walk, almost,” Ron said. “I’ve got pictures of her as a little bitty. She’s tiny and she’s catching fish.”
Fishing has long been a pastime, but only this year did it become a competitive sport for Makayla. The middle school doesn’t field a team, so Makayla and her friend and classmate Jordan Behringer are teammates in Georgia B.A.S.S. Nation’s junior angler division.
Considered as being on the GBN state team, the pair have qualified for the state championship tournament on June 13-14 at Clarks Hill Lake in Lincolnton.
Makayla was fishing solo when she placed fifth in the junior angler division at the tournament on March 8 at Lake Seminole. She caught (and released) five fish weighing a total of 12.82 pounds, with the biggest fish tipping the scales at 4.45 pounds.
PHOTO: Makayla Champion (back row, far right) stands with fellow top finishers after placing fifth solo in the junior angler division at the March 8 tournament on Lake Seminole.
Champion and Behringer teamed up on April 12 at West Point Lake, where they placed fourth with a total catch of 8.96 pounds for five fish.
PHOTO: Makayla Champion (left) and Jordan Behringer placed fourth in the Junior Division at West Point Lake on April 12, reeling in five fish weighing a total of 8.96 pounds.
Champion-Behringer, Part 2
History was repeating itself, her father realized. Branton’s first high school competition as a sophomore was at Lake Seminole and resulted in a fifth place.
His first time at West Point Lake for the Student Angler Federation state championship in Major League Fishing resulted in a fourth place.
Just like Makayla achieved in her first events at those lakes years later.
“I thought it was pretty funny,” Makayla said.
The fact that Branton’s fishing partner throughout his three years on the Richmond Hill fishing team was classmate Jackson Behringer – Jordan’s brother – adds another layer to the story. The Behringer-Champion partnership has a sequel.
Asked if this was all coincidence or intentional, Makayla said, “I guess it’s kind of both.”
She said she teamed with Jordan because of their brothers’ success together and “and we’re pretty good friends and we both like to fish.”
Ron Champion said that his family, who moved from Tennessee to Richmond Hill nearly 10 years ago, has known the Behringer family for many years. Their sons are the same age, and their daughters are the same age.
Considering the randomness and the odds when fishing against perhaps 40 to 50 junior angler teams, and 200-plus teams at a high school tournament, Ron said, “It was crazy.”
“My son couldn’t believe it,” Ron said, relaying the news. “My daughter keeps saying she wants to beat his records that he set, and he has a bunch of them.”
Branton, also a standout kayak fisherman, left quite the legacy in the brief history of the Wildcats’ coed bass fishing program so far, becoming the first to earn a college scholarship for fishing.
“She’s got a long way to go,” Ron said. “She’s just got to keep fishing hard. It’s not about that. It’s about going out there. Of course, they want to do well. She’s having fun with it.
PHOTO: Makayla Champion shows off two of her biggest catches while representing Richmond Hill in the junior angler division—guided by her coach and dad, professional angler Ron Champion.
“Now that she and Jordan have teamed up, it’s going to be cool to see what those two girls can do, knowing what their brothers did. We’ve got states coming up. If they can win that one, they could qualify for the national championship.That’s a long shot, but they’ve got a chance. They’re good fisherwomen.
He predicts that by the time they finish at Richmond Hill High, Makayla and Jordan will set untouchable program records on the girls’ side with unforgettable career accomplishments.
Putting in the time
Ron said his daughter is a hard worker, a good listener, and very coachable, qualities that make her good at fishing, other sports, and life in general.
“I think I’ve always been that way,” said Makayla, an “A” student. “I think I’m a good listener because I pay attention to what they say and then I try to execute.”
The Champion children have great role models at home. Both parents are enjoying successful careers that are not connected to fishing – Ron owns a promotional products company and his wife, Chrissy, is a district manager for the Cracker Barrel national restaurant chain.
“We want them to be kids,” Ron said. “We want them to enjoy their time being a kid. Have fun. We’re very strict when it comes to studies and academics. Branton – great -- we’ve never had to worry about him. Makayla is in all honors classes.
“We don’t have to worry about them. We never had. When you get home, do your homework. Once that’s done, go have fun. We’ll let you play all the sports you want, do anything you want. Keep your grades up. Be a good person. We’ve been blessed with two really good kids.”
Ron Champion also gets a kick out of the people running the Georgia B.A.S.S. Nation events recognizing his daughter in her first year at the competitions.
“They’re already know her by name because you don’t see a lot of girls doing this,” he said. “When you do, it’s kind of hard not to remember her last name, anyway. Her last name is Champion. It kind of sticks out.”
PHIOTOS: Courtesy Champion Family
makayla on left with dad ronchamFOLLOW the Prep Sports Report on Twitter @PrepSav and Instagram savannahsportsreport. If you have any scores, information, or story ideas to share, please email kdemasi@prepsportsreport.com.
