NATCHITOCHES – Four incoming Northwestern State University freshmen were named recipients of Dylan Kyle Poche Memorial Scholarships, presented by the Poche family to students who will be part of the NSU Fishing Team.

The students are Stone Smith of Shreveport, a graduate of Captain Shreve High School who will major in criminal justice;  Evan Howe of Stonewall, a graduate of North DeSoto High School who will major in business administration; Clayton Page of Shreveport, a graduate of Captain Shreve who will major in business administration, and Noah Trant of Bossier City, a graduate of Calvary Baptist Academy who will major in industrial engineering technology.

Funds for the annual scholarships are generated through the Dylan Kyle Poche Memorial Fishing Tournament, held each year at Toledo Bend Reservoir, with a large portion also donated to the Fishing Team to defray expenses incurred with travel and competition.

The Dylan Kyle Poche Memorial Fishing Scholarship was established by Poche’s parents, Burt and Shelley Poche and Misty Ott.  Poche was a 2015 graduate of Natchitoches Central High School and an avid outdoorsman.  He excelled at tournament fishing and was a member of the NCHS Fishing Team and the NSU Fishing Team as a freshman.  He passed away in January 2016.

Burt Poche said his family is happy to be able to present the scholarship to incoming freshmen who will be part of the NSU Fishing Team.  The Fishing Team competes in FLW, B.A.S.S. and Collegiate Bass circuits, is open to all students and taps into the popularity of organized competitive bass fishing. Team members Andrew Straughan of Frisco, Texas, and Austin Speer of Center Point attended the scholarship presentation to welcome their new teammates.

“We are so grateful to the Poches for their hard work and ongoing effort to keep Dylan’s memory alive through this scholarship,” said NSU Director of Development Jill Bankston.

The seventh annual Dylan Kyle Poche Memorial Bass Tournament will be held March 25, 2023, on Toledo Bend.  Information is available at https://dylankylepoche.com/.