Christian Olivo has his arm raised after pinning his opponent from Adna.

ILWACO — The 2024 Beach Brawl, one of the most anticipated events on the wrestling calendar, is in the books with sophomore Jace Linthakhan earning bragging rights as the only Ilwaco grappler to stand at the top of the podium.

He won all three of his bouts to win the 106-pound division at Saturday’s all-day event, which attracted 14 teams who brought a total of 206 wrestlers. Ilwaco wrestles among 2B schools; many of those traveling to the beach were 1A and 2A, and there was one 3A school participating.

Wade Smith was the next most successful among the Ilwaco boys, finishing runner-up in the 150-pound weight class with three wins. Senior Xavier Smith won three bouts to place third at 113 ahead of teammate Blake Bell, who was fifth with a 2-2 record.

Three other Fishermen placed fifth in their weight classes: Gavin Estrada and Luis Mendez both at 132 and Zechariah Taylor at 144. All posted 2-2 records.

Lupe Torres, Ezekiel Sanchez, Christian Olivo and Marcus Lynch also posted wins.

Next for the boys is sub-regionals at Kalama next weekend, with wrestlers seeking to finish in the top seven in their weight class to advance to the next level. Both Smiths and Linthakhan wrestled at state last year.

The girls’ squad posted successes on their home mats, with Coach Frank Womack singling out two for extra applause. “Abigail Doan and Angel Salas were my standout wrestlers, both pushing themselves and constantly progressing their skills,” he said.

Doan placed second in the 110-pound division with teammate Ophelia Wise third. Coach Womack noted that Doan’s first-round pins in her first two matches “set the pace for the Ilwaco girls.”

Bailey Womack placed second at 120, Emma Smith placed third at 190, Angel Salas placed third at 235 and Keowah Iyall placed fourth at 115.

Coach Womack said Salas, who went 1-2, impressed. “While Angel may have not been victorious at the end of all of her matches, she showed some serious grit today and hit some great moves — proving that practice pays off,” he said.

“Angel has the second-best attendance record for the team and puts in extra time with the Ilwaco youth program, attending many of their practices after we finish up each night.”

Kaylee Anderson also wrestled. “She fought hard and continued to improve her technique,” Womack added.

The girls’ season also reaches the “sharp end” this weekend. Sub-regionals will be hosted by Hoquiam Saturday. The top four or five girls in each weight class will advance to the next level Feb. 10. The WIAA state tournament in the Tacoma Dome is the following weekend.

The coach commended those who hosted the Ilwaco tournament.

“The Beach Brawl was a huge success, thanks to all the assistance provided from our entire wrestling family and community,” he said. “We had several volunteers, including parents and siblings of current and past wrestlers, Ilwaco alumni, Ilwaco cheerleaders, school staff, both former and present, along with many others.

“Even our cheering section felt bigger this year than it has been since I started coaching in 2019. The support our young athletes receive is tremendous.”

Kemmer, the boys coach, echoed the sentiment. His wife, Michelle Kemmer, was among key organizers. “It was a busy day with a lot of good wrestlers involved,” he said. “This is our big fundraiser for the year. The community really stepped up with a lot of local businesses helping out. I want to thank my wife most of all for putting together all of our coaches’ room and table help.”