Fini

Art & Vicky's the Dock in Slidell was the perfect venue for he first beach wrestling event ever in Louisiana.  Held on Saturday, August 4th, the 2018 Beach Brawl, sponsored by the Wrestling Academy of Louisiana, was a tremendous success. Current and former Louisiana wrestlers and legends came to participate or watch the event, undeterred by some intermittent rainfall.  Graduates who will be or have competed on the collegiate level (school in parentheses) included three-time (2012-14) Division II state champion Cody Hill of Live Oak (University of Chattanooga), four-time (2011-14) Division III state champion Trevor Schermer of Brusly (Iowa Lakes C.C.), 2014 Division I state champion Conor Karwath (Williams Baptist University in Arkansas) and 2018 Division II state champion Dane Harter (Ithaca College in New York). Other former state champions in attendance included Jim Ballantyne, Jr. (Pearl River - 2014-15) and Baret Sanchez (Brusly - 2013). . Current Louisiana high school wrestlers included 2018 Division II state champions Clayton Hill and Camdyn Ingram of Live Oak, who will be juniors in the 2018-19 season, and 2018 Division I runner-up Dyllon Bernard of Comeaux who is entering his senior year.  Michael Lundin (Holy Cross - 2018) and Morgan Manuel (Rayne - 2018), both in their senior years, were also among the participants.  Brody Gray of Northside, who should be a Division II state championship contender in his upcoming senior season, attended but did not compete in the event, preferring not to risk an injury prior to the start of the high school season. There were several notable wrestlers from the past few years: Jordan Giewat of Jesuit (as well as parents Gary and Kelly), now an official and a student at the University of Louisiana-Lafayette, Jacob Routon of Church Point, who will be attending the Maine Maritime Academy this fall, Lafayette Scrappers coaches Adam Porche and Glenn Bernard, and officials Andrew Mullet and Ian Ballantyne. Worldwide official Cody Hesser was in attendance, as was former Andrew Jackson and Fontainebleau coach, and current Fontainebleau athletic director, Rick Zimmer. Due to the stellar attendance and general great time the wrestlers and spectators evidenced, Coach Jimmy Ballantyne stated a second event may be scheduled for August 25th.

(Help with the names of the people referred to as unknown (UNK - 0-*) would be greatly appreciated.)

Wrestling photos are available by clicking on the logo (right). They were taken by Best Day Ever Event Services.

The 10 photos below were "stolen" from various Facebook pages

Faith and Adam Porche	Cody Hesser	Jordan Giewat and Cody Hill	The Live Oak contingent included graduate Cody Hill, Toby Dodson, Coach Norvin Hill (photo left). Cody Hesser (pulling a Liza Minnelli), Rayden Ingram, Clayton Hill, Camdyn Ingram and Anthony Dodson (photo right).

Tom O'Brien and Adam Porche	Michael Lundin

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The editor awoke to the sounds of stormy weather, which proved non-conducive to getting out of bed.  A view of weather radar would have kept him at home if not for the Facebook postings of others.  After a half-hour of water-proofing his camera, he finally left for Slidell.  The LA 11 exit confused him tremendously, as he was on I-10 going to Slidell when he exited, and then saw signs routing drivers to Slidell or New Orleans.  Should not the Slidell sign there have meant LA 11?  Well, it didn't, so he ended up traversing the new twin-span rather than the LA 11 bridge which would have taken him straight to the event.  Hence, by the time he arrived at Art & Vicki's Dock in Slidell, the wrestling had ended, albeit some of the pain for the participants was just in its infancy.  He did manage to take the below photographs.

The tournament was run by the staff of the Wrestling Academy of Louisiana: James (Jimmy) Ballantyne, Jr., Ian Ballantyne and Ballantyne patriarch James Ballantyne, Sr.

Jacob Routon (Church Point class of 2018) and Ozias Gray, a future Northside Mighty Viking.	Jacob Routon again.	Current and former Lafayette Scrappers Haven Domingues, Jacob Routon, Isaiah Donmingues and Coach Glenn Bernard	Four-time Division III state champion Trevor Schermer	Chris Couty, Brusly state champions Baret Sanchez and Trevor Schermer

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Andrew Mullet is with child	Connor Karwath and Josh Evans	St. Michael 2018 graduates Dane Harter and Ethan Allen

Dane Harter, whose father Mark has seen the world's largest popcorn ball, the largest ball of twine and the barbed-wire museum.  A son winning a state championship, a Louisiana Classic title and soon to be wrestling for Ithaca College in New York was evidently not enough for his father to consider his life "complete."

Dyllon and Glenn Bernard	Dyllon Bernard	Glenn Bernard and Adam Porche	Don Cody and Don Ricky, with all respect

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"A phone booth, a phone booth!  My kingdom for a phone booth!"

The O'Brien clan in its entirety (names are listed below) Tom O'brien,  Jr. Henry O'brien Anna O'Brien with her father's medal

The O'Brien family are new arrivals to the GNO area, hailing from Norfolk, Virginia.     (Photo left) Back: Tom Jr., Tom Sr. and wife Margaret.  Middle: Anna and Henry.  In front: Emma.

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