Competition Heating Up At USLA Lifeguarding Championships

The United States Lifesaving Association (USLA) National Lifeguard Championships continued in Daytona Beach Friday, Aug. 11. The USLA crowned open champions in Surf Race, Board Race, Ironguard, American Ironman, American Ironwoman and Surf Boat Race. The open champions in men’s and women’s beach flags were also decided under the lights of the NASCAR and Daytona International Speedway Pit on Friday night. More age-group champions in the Board Race, Ironguard and Surf Race events were also crowned.

Professional lifeguards from 60 USLA chapters around the country are competing for individual and team honors in water and beach course events that challenge their lifesaving skills. After day two of competition, Monmouth County (N.J.) leads all competitors with 461.5 team points. LA County Surf Life Saving Association (Calif.) currently ranks second with 343 points and California State Lifeguard Association follows in third with 232.75. Ford Lauderdale Ocean Rescue (Fla.) leads the B Division (chapters with 100 lifeguards or less) with 105.50 points.

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

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. Brett Friedman – Smith Point, N.Y.
2. Tim Cabasino – Long Beach, N.Y.
3. Tyler Burch – Outer Banks, N.C.

Women’s Open

1. Amanda Calabrese – Hampton Lifeguard Association, N.Y.
2. Kelsey Kaub – Monmouth County, N.J.
3. Emily Ruppert – 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. Ryan Paroz – Hampton Lifeguard Assoc., N.Y.
2. Ben Brewer – Santa Barbara Lifeguard Assoc., Calif.
3. Chase Robertson – Palm Beach County, Fla.

Women’s Open

1. Jenna Solberg – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.
2. Amanda Calabrese – Hampton Lifeguard Assoc., N.Y.
3. Anne Skimmons – Monmouth County, N.J.

Men’s 30-34

1. James Bray – California State Lifeguard Assoc., Calif.

Women’s 30-34

1. Lindsey Gerkens – Wrightsville Beach, N.C.

Men’s 35-39

1. Steven O’Boyle – Sussex County, Del.

Women’s 35-39

1. Jessica Ventura – Palm Beach County, Fla.

Men’s 40-44

1. Phill Lloyd – Outer Banks, N.C.

Women’s 40-44

1. Jennifer Noonan – Delray Beach Ocean Rescue, Fla.

Men’s 45-49

1. Wade Rickerson – Fort Lauderdale Ocean Rescue, Fla.

Women’s 45-49

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

Men’s 50-54

1. Bruce Wilkie – Hollywood Beach, Fla.

Women’s 50-54

1. Deirdre Fisher – LA County Surf Life Saving Association, Calif.

Men’s 55-59

1. John Skudin – Long Beach, N.Y.

Women’s 55-59

1. Julia Leo – Palm Beach County, Fla.

Men’s 60-64

1. Mark Myhre – Town of Palm Beach, Fla.

Women’s 60-64

1. Nancy Hodges – Virginia Beach Lifesaving Association, Va.

Men’s 65-69

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

Men’s 70+

1. Ed Heinrich – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.

IRONGUARD: Competitors cover an approximately 800-meter course that includes 2 beach sprints, a swim leg, a board leg

Men’s Open

1. Pat Kilgallen – Riis Park, N.Y.
2. Thomas O’Neill – Riis Park, N.Y.
3. Brian O’Neill – Riis Park, N.Y.

Women’s Open

1. Kelsey Cummings – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.
2. Alexandra Santer – South Jersey, N.J.
3. Hallie Petersohn – Volusia Surf Lifesaving Association, Fla.

Men’s 30-34

1. Robert Adsett – Monmouth County, N.J.

Women’s 30-34

1. Brittany Myers – Destin, Fla.

Men’s 35-39

1. Steven O’Boyle – Sussex County, Del.

Women’s 35-39

1. Jessica Ventura – Palm Beach County, Fla.

Men’s 40-44

1. Phill Lloyd – Outer Banks, N.C.

Women’s 40-44

1. Jennifer Noonan – Delray Beach Ocean Rescue, Fla.

Men’s 45-49

1. Javier Mayor – Miami Beach, Fla.

Women’s 45-49

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

Men’s 50-54

1. Randall Eickhoff – California State Lifeguard Assoc., Calif.

Women’s 50-54

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

Men’s 55-59

1. John Skudin – Long Beach, N.Y.

Women’s 55-59

1. Julia Leo – Palm Beach County, Fla.

Men’s 60-64

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

Women’s 60-64

1. Nancy Hodges – Virginia Beach Lifesaving Association, Va.

Men’s 65-69

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

Men’s 70+

1. Ed Heinrich – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.

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

Women’s Open

1. Anne Skimmons – Monmouth County, N.J.
2. Alexandre O’Connor – Fort Lauderdale Ocean Rescue, Fla.
3. Jennifer Noonan – Delray Beach Ocean Rescue, Fla.

Men’s Open

1. James Bray – California State Lifeguard Assoc., – Calif.
2. Boki Corsovic – Hollywood Beach, Fla.
3. Mark Conte – Monmouth County, N.J.

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 Men

1. Chris Hoch & Warren Towns – Fort Lauderdale Ocean Rescue, Fla. & Monmouth County, N.J.
2. Boki Corsovic & Jose Bolivar – Hollywood Beach, Fla.
3. John Cullen & Jake Niedenstein – Monmouth County, N.J.

Open Women

1. Brittany Austin & Alexandre O’Connor – Miami Beach & Fort Lauderdale Ocean Rescue, Fla.
2. Sherry Griffith & Shelley Griffith – Boca Raton, Fla.
3. Cassidy Stimpson & Abigail George – Monmouth County, N.J.

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. Christian Foti – Riis Park, N.Y.
2. Hayden Hemmens – Newport Beach Ocean Lifeguard Assoc., Calif.
3. Thomas O’Neill – Riis Park, N.Y.

Women’s Open

1. Hallie Petersohn – Volusia Surf Lifesaving Association, Fla.
2. Caroline Gmelich – Monmouth County, N.J.
3. Kelsey Cummings – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.

Men’s 30-34

1. AJ Miller – Volusia Surf Lifesaving Association, Fla.

Women’s 30-34

1. Christa Narus – Smith Point, N.Y.

Men’s 35-39

1. Todd Sudol – Monmouth County, N.J.

Women’s 35-39

1. Bethany McKinney – Outer Banks, N.C.

Men’s 40-44

1. Mike Barrows – Monmouth County, N.J.

Women’s 40-44

1. Desi Stoyanova – Miami Beach, Fla.

Men’s 45-49

1. Petko Prachtakov – Hollywood Beach, Fla.

Women’s 45-49

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

Men’s 50-54

1. Randall Eickhoff – California State Lifeguard Assoc., Calif.

Women’s 50-54

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

Men’s 55-59

1. Luiz Freire – Hollywood Beach, Fla.

Women’s 55-59

1. Julia Leo – Palm Beach County, Fla.

Men’s 60-64

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

Women’s 60-64

1. Nancy Hodges – Virginia Beach Lifesaving Association, Va.

Men’s 65-69

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

Men’s 70+

1. Ed Heinrich – 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. Hayden Hemmens, Zane Booth, Ben Brewer, Ryan Gates – Newport Beach Ocean Lifeguard Assoc., Calif., Santa Barbara Lifeguard Assoc., Calif., California State Lifeguard Assoc., Calif.
2. PJ Gillespie, Tim Cabasino, James Canner, Phillip Cabasino – Long Beach, N.Y.
3. Pat Kilgallen, Brian O’Neill, Thomas O’Neill, Christian Foti – Riis Park, N.Y.

Open Women

1. Kelsey Cummings, Jenna Solberg, Chris Linkletter, Coral Berrry – LA County Surf Life Saving Association, Calif.
2. Madison Feldman, Zoe Colomer, Renae Jackson, Casey Francis (Virginia Beach Lifesaving Asso., Va.) – California State Lifeguard Assoc., Calif.
3. Jessica King, Madison Young, Hallie Petersohn, April O’Gormon – Volusia Surf Lifesaving Association, Fla.

Hosted by the Volusia Surf Lifesaving Association in conjunction with the Volusia County’s Beach Safety Division, the USLA National Lifeguard Championships continue Saturday at 8 a.m. ET on Daytona Beach in front of the Hilton Daytona Beach Resort/Ocean Walk Village (100 N. Atlantic Ave.).

At the close of competition, the 2017 champions will be crowned. Open finals scheduled for Saturday, include: Run Relay, 2K Beach Run, Landline, Run Swim Run, Surf Ski and Taplin Relay.

Admission to the USLA National Lifeguard Championships in Daytona Beach is free of charge.

For more information on the USLA National Lifeguard Championships and full results from today’s National Lifeguard Championships, visitwww.uslanationals.org. The event will be broadcast on Fox Sports Network in September 2017.

Press Release courtesy of USLA.