Courtesy: United States Lifesaving Assocication
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — The United States Lifesaving Association (USLA) National Lifeguard Championships kicked off in Virginia Beach, Va. Wednesday with the National Junior Lifeguard Championships featuring more than 250 young participants from USLA-affiliated lifeguard programs across the country.
These future lifeguarding hopefuls, ages nine-15, competed in eight events in three age categories for individual titles. The Under-19 competition, comprised of both junior and professional lifeguards ages 16-18, competed in seven events. Junior competitors from Capitola Beach, Monmouth County, San Luis Obispo County, Hampton, Jones Beach State Park, Sussex County, South Jersey, Santa Barbara and LA County Lifesaving Associations all won individual titles on Wednesday.
The Junior Guard competition consisted of three divisions—A Division for 14 and 15-year-olds, B Division for 12 and 13-year-olds, C Division for 9 through 11 years of age.
Winners of each event and division from Wednesday’s National Junior Lifeguard Championships 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.
Girls Under-19 (16-18)
Raylene Allen – Capitola Beach Lifeguard Assoc., Calif.
Boys Under-19 (16-18)
Daniel Schwedock – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.
Girls A Group (14-15)
Grace Turman – Monmouth County, N.J.
Boys A Group (14-15)
Alex Piasecki – Monmouth County, N.J.
Girls B Group (12-13)
Ava Burke – Capitola Beach Lifeguard Assoc., Calif.
Boys B Group (12-13)
Cooper Harmon – Monmouth County, N.J.
Girls C Group (9-11)
Sophia Bastidos – San Luis Obispo County Lifesaving Assoc., Calif.
Boys C Group (9-11)
Evan Schaefer – Hampton Lifeguard Assoc., N.Y.
BEACH RUN: An individual event in which Junior Guards run down, around a flag and back to a finish funnel on the hard sand.
Boys Under-19 (16-18, 2km distance run)
Brian Veit – Jones Beach State Park, N.Y.
Girls Under-19 (16-18, 2km distance run)
Emily Trout – Sussex County, Del.
Boys A Group (14-15, 2km distance run)
Alex Piasecki – Monmouth County, N.J.
Girls A Group (14-15, 2km distance run)
Emma Hren – Hampton Lifeguard Assoc., N.Y.
Boys B Group (12-13, 2km distance run)
Benjamin Bastidos – San Luis Obispo County Lifesaving Assoc., Calif.
Girls B Group (12-13, 2km distance run)
Molly Cullen – Monmouth County, N.J.
Boys C Group (9-11, 2km distance run)
Lars Olsen – Jones Beach State Park, N.Y.
Girls C Group (9-11, 2km distance run)
Sophia Bastidos – San Luis Obispo County Lifesaving Assoc., Calif.
SURF SWIM RACE: An individual event in which Junior Guards swim out and around the two designated buoys and finish through the funnel on the beach.
Girls Under-19 (16-18)
Sydney Brouwer – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.
Boys Under-19 (16-18)
Joseph Tepper – South Jersey, N.J.
Girls A Group (14-15)
Maiken Pardon – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.
Boys A Group (14-15)
John Bish – Santa Barbara Lifeguard Assoc., Calif.
Girls B Group (12-13)
Ava Repetti – Monmouth County, N.J.
Boys B Group (12-13)
Hunter Kuenzel – Monmouth County, N.J.
Girls C Group (9-11)
Ivy Slavinski – Monmouth County, N.J.
Boys C Group (9-11)
Lorenzo Anthony Aquilino – Jones Beach State Park, N.Y.
IRONGUARD: An individual event in which Junior Guards swim the designated course, run to the transition area, then paddle the designated course and finish with a final run leg.
Boys Under-19 (16-18)
Joseph Tepper – South Jersey, N.J.
Girls Under-19 (16-18)
Sydney Brouwer – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.
Boys B Group (12-13)
Hunter Kuenzel – Monmouth County, N.J.
Girls B Group (12-13)
Abby Mannix – Monmouth County, N.J.
Boys C Group (9-11)
Liam Knight – Hampton Lifeguard Assoc., N.Y.
Girls C Group (9-11)
Daisy Pitches – Hampton Lifeguard Assoc., N.Y.
BOARD RACE: An individual event in which Junior Guards paddle a board out and around designated buoys, negotiate incoming surf and finish with their board through a funnel on the beach.
Girls Under-19 (16-18)
Isabella Taylor – South Jersey, N.J.
Boys Under-19 (16-18)
Zane Booth – Santa Barbara Lifeguard Assoc., Calif.
Girls A Group (14-15)
Rebecca Konop – Jones Beach State Park, N.Y.
Boys A Group (14-15)
Mitchell Cullen – Monmouth County, N.J.
Girls B Group (12-13)
Mackenzie Brennan – Monmouth County, N.J.
Boys B Group (12-13)
Hunter Kuenzel – Monmouth County, N.J.
Girls C Group (9-11)
Ivy Slavinski – Monmouth County, N.J.
Boys C Group (9-11)
Lars Olsen – Jones Beach State Park, N.Y.
RESCUE RACE: A two-person event in which one Junior Guard serves as the ‘victim’ and one Junior Guard serves as the rescuer. Victims shall swim to their appropriate distance off shore. The rescuer then swims to the victim and returns to shore pulling the victim behind them.
Combined A Group (14-15)
Nicky Badilla, Tenzin Tamang – Hampton Lifeguard Assoc., N.Y.
Combined B Group (12-13)
Morgan Lee, Makayla Lee – Jones Beach State Park, N.Y.
RUN-SWIM-RUN: An individual event in which Junior Guards run a set distance on the beach, then swim out and around two buoys and back then finish with a second beach run.
Boys Under-19 (16-18)
Joseph Tepper – South Jersey, N.J.
Girls Under-19 (16-18)
Sydney Brouwer – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.
Boys A Group (14-15)
Benjamin Robinson – Monmouth County, N.J.
Girls A Group (14-15)
Maiken Pardon – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.
Boys B Group (12-13)
Hunter Kuenzel – Monmouth County, N.J.
Girls B Group (12-13)
Sofia Burns – Jones Beach State Park, N.Y.
Boys C Group (9-11)
Lorenzo Anthony Aquilino – Jones Beach State Park, N.Y.
Girls C Group (9-11)
Ivy Slavinski – Monmouth County, N.J.
SWIM RELAY: Five-person teams participate in a swim relay. The ‘A’ division swims 240 meters per person, the ‘B’ division swims 200 meters per person and the ‘C’ division swims 150 meters per person.
B Group (12-13)
Sofia Burns, Amelie Eng, Cian Bice, Colin Veit – Jones Beach State Park, N.Y.
C Group (9-11)
Emily Sudol, Ellison Barrows, Madeline Ireland, Ivy Slavinski, Luke Sudol – Monmouth County, N.J.
IRONPERSON:
Girls Under-19 (16-18)
Isabella Taylor – South Jersey, N.J.
Boys Under-19 (16-18)
Zane Booth – Santa Barbara Lifeguard Assoc., Calif.
The USLA and the Virginia Beach Lifeguard Association in conjunction with the City of Virginia Beach are coordinating the competition, which is sponsored by Jersey Mike’s.
Hosted by the Virginia Beach Lifeguard Association in conjunction with the city of Virginia Beach, the Jersey Mike’s USLA National Lifeguard Championships continue Thursday at 8 a.m. ET between 27th and 30th street on the Virginia Beach oceanfront.
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 Virginia Beach is free of charge.
For more information on the Nautica USLA National Lifeguard Championships and full results from today’s National Junior Lifeguard Championships, visit www.nationalresults.usla.org.