USLA Selects 16 To Represent Youth National Team At International Surf Rescue Challenge

Courtesy: United States Lifesaving Association (USLA)

The USLA selects 16 rising stars to represent the USLA Youth National Team at the International Surf Rescue Challenge (ISRC) being held in South Padre, TX, from September 20 to September 23, 2023.

The USLA U19 Team Staff of Manager Gus Avila, Head Coach Casey Graham, and Coach Alan Holt, have selected 16 athletes based on their results at the U19 National Championships held in Virginia Beach, VA, at the beginning of August. Not only did many of these athletes perform well at the youth competition, but several went on to challenge the top competitors in the Open National Championships.

For the women, 17-year-old Lainey Shockro finished third in the hotly contested Women’s Open Beach Flag Finals. Sae Ackerstein had a top 10 finish in the Open Board Race and Volusia County teammates Elizabeth Brennan, Lucy Noble, and Mackenzie O’Keefe, are prepped and ready for the first international competition for the USLA Youth Team since 2019.

The men are led by Charles Franzen and Coleman Woodard, both finaling and scoring in the Open Ironman competition as well as finishing one-two in the U19 Ironman final. Roman Higgins and Lucas Doering finished in the top 10 of the Open Board Race while also finishing one-two in the U19 Board Race final.

Congratulations to the US Youth National Team competitors ready to take on teams from as far away as South Africa and Japan.

Youth National Boy’s Team

• Lucas Doering – Santa Barbara, CA
• Charles Franzen – Santa Barbara, CA
• Roman Higgins – Cal State, CA
• Jorges Lagunes – Sussex County, DE
• David McKeeman – Cal State, CA
• Lars Olsen – Jones Beach, NY
• Colin Veit – Jones Beach, NY
• Coleman Woodard – Sussex County, DE

 Youth National Girl’s Team 

• Sae Ackerstein – Santa Cruz, CA
• Ellison Barrows – Monmouth County, NJ
• Elizabeth Brennan – Volusia County, FL
• Tea Kalpakoff – San Luis Obispo County, CA
• Lucy Noble – Volusia County, FL
• Mackenzie O’Keefe – Volusia County, FL
• Lainey Shockro – Sussex County, DE
• Munchie Price – Capitola, CA