Christopher Lake is embraced by the Ilwaco coaching staff after finishing second in the Beach Brawl.

ILWACO — One Ilwaco wrestler was crowned champion and four others finished in the top three at the annual Beach Brawl tournament last weekend in Ilwaco. The Fishermen had a strong showing overall, finishing fifth place among a deep field of 11 schools.

Xavier Smith took first place in the 120-pound division, followed by 2nd-place finishers Christopher Lake and Gabriel McCargish at 152 and 160-pounds respectively. Bethany Martin finished second in the girls 190-pound group. Wade Smith took third at 138. At 195, Marcus Lynch finished fourth followed by teammate Alex Schock in fifth, rounding out the top-5 Ilwaco finishers.

Head coach Larry Kemmer said the team as a whole did “great,” particularly considering the depth of the competition, where the Fishermen held their own against bigger 2A and 1A schools.

Local wrestlers will have an opportunity to qualify for the state tournament in the coming weeks as postseason play begins.

“We won’t know state participants until after our regional tournament on Feb. 12 in Adna,” Kemmer said.

The sub-regional tournament is set for this weekend in Ocosta. The top seven finishers in each weight class will move on to the regional tournament at the following weekend, with the top three in each weight class at that tournament earning a spot in the Mat Classic, the state tournament that is scheduled to take place at the Tacoma Dome Feb. 18-19.