This past Sunday, Vashon High School played host to the 30th annual Rock (wrestling) Tournament, and according to longtime Vashon wrestling coach Anders Blomgren, this year’s event was the largest to date.

In what Blomgren described as “a hot gym full of fans, families and wrestlers,” Vashon was represented by 18 entrants among the 220 participating from 16 teams across the region.

“This was probably the youngest team we’ve ever entered,” Blomgren said. “Three were seniors, the rest were freshmen and sophomores.”

The young host team placed ninth overall, with seven of its wrestlers placing in the top five of their weight classes. Isaac Escovedo was the top finisher for Vashon, achieving second place in his class at 160 lbs; Ethan McIntyre reached third place in his class at 113 lbs; Ryan Nelson also grabbed the third spot in his class at 145 lbs; and George Murphy, Jake Carman, Payton Bonaventura, and Jordon Rutschow all took fifth place in their respective weight classes.

“I was super proud of the effort and accountability of our wrestlers,” Blomgren said. “We fought hard and we learned a ton in the process. We are ready for the second half push for the post-season.”

Describing the tournament as a “Vashon wrestling community event,” the coach added that it was a tremendous undertaking that would not have been possible without the selflessness and hard work put forth by the many parents, coaches, alumni and athletes involved.

Next up for the island’s grapplers is the Everett Classic tournament on Saturday.