Blues' Jaselyn Berthelot Invited to 2025 ESPY Awards

A promise made years ago, becomes a promise kept. Jaselyn Berthelot of the Mississippi Blues Angling Club received a phone call from SFC Commissioner and CEO Mark Neifeld early in the afternoon on July 10th. She’s sitting in the salon of their 58’ Viking named “Rising Son’s” while it’s running under power to compete in yet another tournament. For Berthelot, this is her 12th straight week fishing in the Gulf between SFC and non-sanctioned SFC competitions.

Her right forearm and hand is covered in kinesio tape due to a carpal tunnel flare up from fighting a 600+ pound blue marlin for nearly eight hours last weekend in the Pensacola Billfish Release Tournament, presented by Legendary Marine.

“A couple of years ago I told you that one day you would be attending the ESPY Awards as an athlete and representing all of the people in our sport,” Neifeld said. “Earlier this morning, ESPN called and they want you to the 2025 ESPY Awards, July 16th at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.”

Click here to see the emotional call and inviation.

An annual awards show held by ESPN since 1993, ESPY stands for “Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly.” The ESPYS are where the largest figures in the professional and collegiate sports worlds gather for one night to honor their extraordinary achievements in their respective disciplines. Jaselyn Berthelot, accompanied by her father Toby will be the first athlete to represent competitive offshore fishing and Sport Fishing Championship. 

“Such a surreal and proud moment not just for me but for the sport of offshore fishing as a whole,” Berthelot said. “It’s more than just an invite, it’s a sign that the sport is growing, it’s evolving and it’s becoming more inclusive.”

“You deserve it, we’re so proud of you, everybody’s so proud of you,” Neifeld went on to say on the phone. 

20 categories are voted on by the fans, including Best Golfer, which Texas Lone Stars owner and current PGA world no. 1 Scottie Scheffler is nominated. 15 categories either highlight or include women’s athletics in individual or team honors.

“I’ve worked hard to earn my place on the water and I hope that by showing up and being visible at events like this can help pave the way for other women who dream of doing the same,” Berthelot said. 

The ESPY invite is a career highlight for Berthelot, who in this season along has already garnered top angler honors in the Blues’ win at the East Pass Challenge Presented by Legendary Marine. 

“Nothing in fishing is ever done alone, I owe everything to my crew; Their hard work, their dedication and loyalty to our team are the reasons why we got to this point,” Berthelot said. “It’s a shared accomplishment for all of us.”

Taking place on Wednesday night, the ESPY’s present a competitive challenge all their own. Being in Los Angeles, Jaselyn and Toby will need to board a red eye flight immediately at the conclusion of the show, in order to make the shotgun start of the Billfish Pachanga the next morning in Port Aransas, Texas. 

The Pachanga is a pivotal moment in the Mississippi Blues’ season. Currently second in the season points, the Blues are clinging to the last Gulf Division berth for the Zane Grey Championship Playoffs. A good showing is needed to protect that lead, with three angling clubs within 300 points of them. 

The plane is scheduled to land in Corpus Christi before 10:00AM local time, so our crew will be waiting at the boat to see if they make the 11:00AM shotgun start.