2021 USLA Lifeguard Championships Underway In South Padre Island

Courtesy: United States Lifesaving Association (USLA)

SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, Texas (Aug. 5, 2021) — The United States Lifesaving Association (USLA) National Lifeguard Championships kicked off the first day of professional competition on Thursday. The USLA crowned Open Champions in Board Relay and Run-Swim-Run, as well as age group champions in the Surf Boat Race, Surf Ski Race, Beach Flags, American Ironwoman and American Ironman events. Preliminary and semifinal rounds were also run for a variety of Open events.

• Click HERE for Full Results

At the Jersey Mike’s 2021 USLA National Lifeguard Championships, professional lifeguards from USLA programs from every coast in the United States compete for individual and team honors in water and beach course events that challenge their lifesaving skills.

After day one of competition, LA County Surf Life Saving Association (Calif.) leads the Howard Lee National Championship Trophy race for overall points with 337.5. The race for second place is extremely tight with Riis Park (N.Y.) and Sussex County (N.J.) tied for second place with 108 points with Monmouth County (N.J.) trailing by just one point with 107. Wrightsville Beach (N.C.) leads the B Division (chapters with 200 lifeguards or less) with 26 points.

Open and age group champions for each of Thursday’s USLA National Lifeguard Championships events follow:

SURF BOAT RACE: Two-person surf boat teams row around the three outside buoy courses returning to shore where one member disembarks from the boat and runs up to touch the line. Once across the touchline, the member can return to their surf boat for a second lap, repeating the touch line run. At the finish of the third lap, one member must leave the boat and run up and across the finish line. Three lap races are approximately 2,000 meters with each lap approximately 665 meters.

Men’s 30-34

1. Chris Hoch & Kevin Jones – Fort Lauderdale Ocean Rescue/Boca Raton, Fla.

Women’s 30-34

1. Kellyn Baconcini & Alexandre O’Connor – Fort Lauderdale Ocean Rescue, Fla.

Men’s 35-39

1. Hunter Hay & Tyler Morgan – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.

Men’s 40-44

1. Jack Green & David Griffith – Monmouth County/Sussex County, N.J.

Men’s 45-49

1. Jose Rene Abasolo & James Goldsmith – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.

Women’s 45-49

1. Jo Wagenhals & Cindy Fajardo – Pompano Beach, Fla./Sussex County, N.J.

Men’s 50-54

1. John Cullen & Paul Elyseev – Monmouth County, N.J.

Women’s 50-54

1. Sherry Griffith & Shelley Griffith – Boca Raton, Fla.

Men’s 60-64

1. John Gepp & Merrill Riley – Fort Lauderdale Ocean Rescue, Fla./LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.

Men’s 70+

1. Joel Gitelson & John Matesich – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.

BOARD RELAY: Three competitors each paddle a 400m course; this is the first  time the event has been an official scoring relay at the USLA Nationals.

Women’s Open

1. Coral Kemp, Holly Maine & Kelsey Cummings – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.
2. Hallie Petersohn (Palm Beach County), April O’Gorman (Volusia Surf), Casey Francis (Fort Lauderdale)
3. Sophia Swanson, Bella Tarbet, Kiley Kaiser – Hampton Lifeguard Assoc., N.Y.

Men’s Open

1. Brian Murphy, Jake Miller, Shane Gallas – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.
2. Zane Booth (Santa Barbara Lifeguard), James Bray & Ben Brewer (California State Lifeguard Assoc.)
3. Peter Ebert, Pat Kilgallen, Thomas O’Neill – Riis Park, N.Y.

SURF SKI: Competitors steady their skis in line in knee-deep water about 1.5 meters apart. Competitors must obey directions from the starter or check starter concerning ski alignment at the start. On the starting signal, competitors paddle their skis around the apex course marked by three red buoys in a clockwise direction and return to finish when any part of the ski crosses the in-water finish line – ridden, gripped or carried by the competitor. Competitors may lose contact with their ski without necessarily being disqualified.

Men’s 30-34

1. Tim Burdiak – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.

Women’s 30-34

1. Kellyn Baconcini – Hollywood Beach, Fla.

Men’s 35-39

1. Chase Robertson – Palm Beach County, Fla.

Women’s 35-39

1. Kimberly Robertson – Palm Beach County, Fla.

Men’s 40-44

1. Tyler Morgan – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.

Women’s 40-44

1. Tandis Morgan – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.

Women’s 45-49

1. Cindy Fajardo – Sussex County, N.J.

Men’s 50-54

1. Sean Turner – Boca Raton, Fla.

Women’s 50-54

1. Sherry Griffith – Boca Raton, Fla.

Men’s 55-59

1. Patrick Hemmens – California State Lifeguard Assoc., Calif.

Women’s 55-59

1.    Christine Linkletter – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.

Men’s 60-64

1. Merrill Riley – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.

Men’s 65-69

1. Mark Montgomery – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.

Men’s 70+

1. Joel Gitelson – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.

RUN-SWIM-RUN: From the start line, competitors run to pass around the turning flag and enter the water to swim out and around he buoys. Competitors swim back to the beach to again run around the turning flag before running to the finish line.

OPEN MEN:

1. Thomas O’Neill – Riis Park, N.Y.
2. Ben Brewer – California State Lifeguard Association, Calif.
3. Pat Kilgallen – Riis Park, N.Y.

OPEN WOMEN:

1. Kelsey Cummings – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.
2. Hallie Petersohn – Palm Beach County, Fla.
3. Casey Francis – Fort Lauderdale Ocean Rescue, Fla.

Age Group: 30-34

               Men: Drew Modrov – Riis Park, N.Y.

Women: Maureen Abeita – Destin, Fla.

Age Group: 35-39

Men: Stephen Swenson – Monmouth County, N.J.

Women: Tiffany LaCasse – Palm Beach County, Fla.

Age Group: 40-44

Men: Jeff Monroe – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.

Women: Rebecca Thomas – California State Lifeguard Assoc., Calif.

Age Group: 45-49

                Men: Alan Holt – Volusia Surf Lifesaving Association, Fla.

                Women: Cindy Fajardo – Sussex County, N.J.

Age Group: 50-54

Men: Sean Turner – Boca Raton, Fla.

Women: Michelle Davidson – Monmouth County, N.J.

Age Group: 55-59

Men: Randall Eickhoff – California State Lifeguard Assoc., Calif.

Women: Christopher Linkletter – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.

Age Group: 60-64

Men: Merrill Riley – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.

Age Group: 65-69

Men: Mark Montgomery – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.

Age Group: 70+

Men: Joel Gitelson – LA County Surf Life Saving Association, Calif.

BEACH FLAGS: From a prone starting position on the beach, competitors rise, turn and race to obtain a baton (beach flag) buried upright in the sand approximately 20 meters away. Since there are always fewer batons than competitors, those who fail to obtain a baton are eliminated.

Men’s 30-34

1. Ryan Fullerton – South Padre Island, Texas

Women’s 30-34

1. Jacquelyn Emmert – Galveston Lifesaving Association, Texas

Men’s 35-39

1. Maurice Peacock – Wrightsville Beach, N.C.

Women’s 35-39

1. Tiffany LaCasse – Palm Beach County, Fla.

Men’s 40-44

1. Sean Knight – Hampton Lifeguard Assoc., N.Y.

Women’s 40-44

1. Tandis Morgan – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.

Men’s 45-49

1. Jose Rene Abasolo – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.

Women’s 45-49

1. Christina Weeks – Carolina Beach, N.C.

Men’s 50-54

1. Ross O’Neill – Monmouth County, N.J.

Women’s 50-54

1. Ellen Faustine – California State Lifeguard Assoc., Calif.

Men’s 55-59

1. Steve Kirkland – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.

Women’s 55-59

1. Ann Finley – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.

Men’s 60-64

1. John Gepp – Fort Lauderdale Ocean Rescue, Fla.

Men’s 65-69

1. Mark Montgomery & Dale Adama – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc./California State Lifeguard Assoc., Calif.

Men’s 70+

1. Joel Gitelson – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.

AMERICAN IRONMAN: Competitors cover a 1400 m (approx.) course that includes a swim leg, a board leg, a solo surfboat leg, and a beach sprint finish. Conditions of racing each leg are as generally required for the individual conditions of that discipline including the rules governing the component disciplines: surfboats, board races, surf races, beach sprints. The sequence of legs shall be determined by draw at the commencement of each competition at least one hour prior to the race. The same ballot shall determine the order of legs for the Ironman and Taplin Relay. If the surf boat leg is first, competitor will start with a typical Surfboat start with a handler.

Men’s 30-34

1. Jack Gramlich – Monmouth County, N.J.

Men’s 35-39

1. Hunter Hay – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.

Men’s 40-44

1. Jack Green – Monmouth County, N.J.

Men’s 45-49

1. Fintan McCormac – Hampton Lifeguard Assoc., N.Y.

Men’s 50-54

1. Jose Bolivar – Hollywood Beach, Fla.

Men’s 55-59

1. Bruce Wilkie – Hollywood Beach, Fla.

Men’s 60-64

1. Merrill Riley – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.

Men’s 65-69

1. Dale Adama – California State Lifeguard Assoc., Calif.

Men’s 70+

1. Joel Gitelson – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.

AMERICAN IRONWOMAN: Competitors cover a 950-meter (approx.) course that includes a swim leg, a board leg, and a beach sprint finish. SWIM clockwise around the two center swim flag buoys (red to green/yellow). Competitors will BOARD paddle clockwise around the swim flag buoys and the black/white buoys. The start will be at the left end of the course facing down the beach. The competitors will RUN down the beach 100 meters to a flag in the middle of the course. After rounding the center flag, the competitors enter the water for the swim.

Women’s 30-34

1. Alexandre O’Connor – Fort Lauderdale Ocean Rescue, Fla.

Women’s 35-39

1. Tiffany LaCasse – Palm Beach County, Fla.

Women’s 45-49

1. Jo Wagenhals – Pompano Beach, Fla.

Women’s 50-54

1. Shelley Griffith – Boca Raton, Fla.

Coordinated by the USLA and the Padre Beach Rescue Association (PBRA), the Jersey Mike’s USLA National Lifeguard Championships continue Friday at 7 a.m. behind the Isla Grand Resort on the South Padre Island beachfront.

The week’s marquee event, Beach Flags, will be contested under the lights at Clayton’s Beach Bar tomorrow night at 8 p.m.

From Thursday to Saturday, professional lifeguards from a number of USLA chapters across the country will compete for individual and team honors in water and beach course events that challenge their lifesaving skills including surf swims, beach runs, paddleboard races, landline rescue relays, a taplin relay, board rescue races, beach flags, and Ironman and Ironwoman races.

Admission to the USLA National Lifeguard Championships in South Padre Island is free of charge.

For more information on the USLA National Lifeguard Championships and full results from today’s National Lifeguard Championships, visit www.usla.org/nationals.