Beach Flags & American Ironman/Ironwoman Finals Highlight Day 3 Of USLA Champs

Courtesy: United States Lifesaving Association (USLA)

SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, Texas (Aug. 6, 2021) — The United States Lifesaving Association (USLA) National Lifeguard Championships continued in South Padre Island on Friday with the USLA crowning open champions in Beach Relay Race, Board Race, American Ironman/Ironwoman, Surf Boat Race, Surf Race, Surf Ski and Rescue Race. The open champions in the fan-favorite men’s and women’s beach flags were also decided under the lights in front of a lively crowd at the scenic Clayton’s Beach Bar. More age-group champions in various categories were also crowned.

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 two days of competition, LA County Surf Life Saving Association (Calif.) leads the Howard Lee National Championship Trophy race for overall points with 797. Sussex County (Del.) currently sits in second place at 480 points with third place Monmouth County (N.J.) looking to make a push on the last day of competition with 371.125 overall points. Riis Park (N.Y.) leads the B Division (chapters with 200 lifeguards or less) with an impressive 320.875 points.

Open (1^st through 3^rd) and age-group champions for each of Friday’s Jersey Mike’s USLA National Lifeguard Championships events follow:

BEACH RELAY RACE: Teams of four individuals compete in baton relay fashion over a 100-yard course.

Men’s Open

1. Eid Nouhra, Charles Fritchman, Michael Frederick, Reed Tanasovich – Sussex County, Del.
2. Joey Jones (Fenwick Island, Del.), Walker Chavatel, Gabe Tempert, Jack Callis – Sussex County, Del.
3. Thomas Teeters, Kyle Stamper, Jaxon Hudson, Clell Hamm – Carolina Beach, N.C.

Women’s Open

1. Melaney Heald, Judith Johnston, Nicole Willing, Nicolette Phillips – Sussex County, Del.
2. Alexandra Santer, Meredith Lockwood, Lainey Shockro, Sophia Gulotti – Sussex County, Del.
3. Bella Tarbet, Amanda Calabrese, Olivia Duca, Quinn Banks – Hampton Lifeguard Assoc., N.Y.

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 Open

1.    Maurice Peacock – Wrightsville Beach, N.C.
2. Spencer Flynn – Monmouth County, N.J.
3. Brendan Keane – Sussex County, N.J.

Women’s Open

1.    Amanda Calabrese – Hampton Lifeguard Association, N.Y.
2. Brandi White – California State Lifeguard Association, Calif.
3.    Lainey Shockro – Sussex County, Del.

BOARD RACE: Competitors stand on or behind the start line on the beach with their boards 1.5 meters apart. At the start signal, competitors enter the water, launch their boards and paddle the course marked by buoys, return to the beach and run to cross the finish line. Competitors are not permitted to hold or otherwise interfere with other competitors’ boards or deliberately impede their progress.

Men’s Open

1. Ben Brewer – California State Lifeguard Assoc., Calif.
2. Bryce Orchard – Destin, Fla.
3. Jake Miller – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.

Women’s Open

1. April O’Gorman – Volusia Surf Lifesaving Association, Fla.
2. Coral Kemp – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.
3. Holly Maine – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.

Women’s 30-34

1. Coral Kemp – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.

Men’s 35-39

1. Shane Gallas – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.

Women’s 35-39

1. Tiffany LaCasse – Palm Beach County, Fla.

Men’s 40-44

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

Women’s 40-44

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

Men’s 45-49

1. Alan Holt – Volusia Surf Lifesaving Association, Fla.

Women’s 45-49

1. Rachel Gore – South Padre Island, Texas

Men’s 50-54

1. Sean Turner – Boca Raton, Fla.

Women’s 50-54

1. Michelle Davidson – Monmouth County, N.J.

Men’s 55-59

1. Bruce Wilkie – Hollywood Beach, Fla.

Women’s 55-59

1. Ann Finley – 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.

AMERICAN IRONMAN/IRONWOMAN: 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, competitors will start with a typical Surfboat start with a handler.

Men’s Open

1. James Bray – California State Lifeguard Assoc., Calif.
2. Ryan Matthews – Monmouth County, N.J.
3. Peyton Ouano – Monmouth County, N.J.

Women’s Open

1. Casey Francis – Fort Lauderdale Ocean Rescue, Fla
2. Alexandre O’Connor – Fort Lauderdale Ocean Rescue, Fla.
3. Alexandra Santer – Sussex County, Del.

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.

Open Women

1. Shelley Griffith & Sherry Griffith – Boca Raton, Fla.
2. Tiffany LaCosse & Alice Henley – Palm Beach County/Dania Beach, Fla.
3. Casey Francis & Alexandre O’Connor – Fort Lauderdale Ocean Rescue, Fla. 

Open Men 

1.    Kevin Jones & Chris Hoch – Boca Raton/Ford Lauderdale Ocean Rescue, Fla.
2. James Bray & Dane DeBoer – California State Lifeguard Assoc., Calif.
3. Jose Bolivar & John Guscott – Hollywood Beach, Fla.

SURF RACE: With a running start into the surf from the start line on the beach, competitors swim around the 400-meter course designated by buoys, around the left end buoy of the flag line to the two black and white buoys returning to shore passing the right end of the flag buoy line to finish between the finish flags on the beach.

Men’s Open

1. Ben Brewer – California State Lifeguard Assoc., Calif.
2. Thomas O’Neill – Riis Park, N.Y.
3. Drew Modrov- Riis Park, N.Y.

Women’s Open

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.

Men’s 30-34

1. Drew Modrov – Riis Park, N.Y.

Women’s 30-34

1. Maureen Abeita – Destin, Fla.

Men’s 35-39

1. Stephen Swenson – Monmouth County, N.J.

Women’s 35-39

1. Tiffany LaCasse – Palm Beach County, Fla.

Men’s 40-44

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

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. Cindy Fajardo – Sussex County, Del.

Men’s 50-54

1. Sean Turner – Boca Raton, Fla.

Women’s 50-54

1. Michelle Davidson – Monmouth County, N.J.

Men’s 55-59

1. Randall Eickhoff – 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.

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 Open

1.    Tim Burdiak – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.
2. Brian Murphy – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.
3. Matthew Lynskey – Palm Beach County, Fla.

Women’s Open

1. Kelsey Cummings – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.
2. April O’Gorman – Volusia Surf Lifesaving Association, Fla.
3. Holly Maine – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.

RESCUE RACE: Four competitors from each team participate in the event: a “victim,” one rescue tube swimmer and two rescuers. The victim swims approximately 120 meters to a designated buoy, signals and waits to be rescued by the rescue tube swimmer. As they return to shore, the remaining two rescuers enter the water to assist. The event finishes when the first competitor in a team crosses the finish line while in contact with the victim.

Open Men

1. Thomas O’Neill, Peter Ebert, Michael Mcalpine, Drew Modrov – Riis Park, N.Y.
2. Daniel Cornish, Pat Kilgallen, Matthew Collins, Daniel Collins, Riis Park, N.Y.
3. Joshua Usher, Ben Brewer, Zane Booth (Santa Barbara), James Bray – California State Lifeguard Assoc., Calif.

Open Women

1. Hallie Petersohn (Palm Beach), April O’Gorman (Volusia), Tiffany LaCasse (Palm Beach), Casey Francis (Fort Lauderdale)
2. Sophia Gulotti, Cindy Fajardo, Alexandra Santer, Grace Hansen – Sussex County, Del.
3. Lucy Johnson, Evan Arsenault, Andrea Niebel, Roxanna Chaney – Wrightsville Beach, N.C.

Coordinated by the USLA and the Padre Beach Rescue Association (PBRA), the Jersey Mike’s USLA National Lifeguard Championships will crown a winner on Saturday, with action resuming behind the Isla Grand Resort on the South Padre Island beachfront.

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.