Courtesy: United States Lifesaving Association (USLA)
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (Aug. 9, 2023) — The Jersey Mike’s United States Lifesaving Association (USLA) National Lifeguard Championships kicked off in Virginia Beach, Va. Wednesday with the National Junior Lifeguard Championships featuring Junior Guard programs from every coast in the United States.
These future lifeguarding hopefuls, ages nine-15, competed in various events in three age categories for individual titles. The Under-19 competition, comprised of both junior and professional lifeguards ages 15-18, also competed for medals. Junior competitors from Virginia Beach, Capitola Beach Lifeguard Assoc., Sussex County, Del., LA County, Monmouth County, California State, Hampton Lifeguard Assoc., Jones Beach, Volusia and more 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 (15-18)
Madalyn Price – Capitola Beach Lifeguard Assoc., Calif.
Boys Under-19 (15-18)
Konner Knarr – Sussex County, Del.
Girls A Group (14-15)
Morgan Koonce – Monmouth County, N.J.
Boys A Group (14-15)
Ryan Abogabal – Monmouth County, N.J.
Girls C Group (9-11)
Callie Amicucci – Hampton Lifeguard Assoc., N.Y.
Boys C Group (9-11)
Hudson Cagliostro – Monmouth County, N.J.
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 (15-18, 2km distance run)
Brodie Schneider – Hampton Lifeguard Assoc., N.Y.
Girls Under-19 (15-18, 2km distance run)
Brynn Crandell – Sussex County, Del.
Boys A Group (14-15, 2km distance run)
Luke Sudol – Monmouth County, N.J.
Girls A Group (14-15, 2km distance run)
Emily Sudol – Monmouth County, N.J.
Boys B Group (12-13, 2km distance run)
Luca Short – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.
Girls B Group (12-13, 2km distance run)
Ryann Russo – Monmouth County, N.J.
Boys C Group (9-11, 2km distance run)
Oliver Early – Hampton Lifeguard Assoc., N.Y.
Girls C Group (9-11, 2km distance run)
Zoey Scott – Galveston Lifesaving Assoc., Texas
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 (15-18)
Mackenzie O’Keefe – Volusia Surf Lifesaving Association, Fla.
Boys Under-19 (15-18)
Colin Mamaril – Virginia Beach Lifesaving Association, Va.
Girls A Group (14-15)
Emily Sudol – Monmouth County, N.J.
Boys A Group (14-15)
Lars Olsen – Jones Beach State Park, N.Y.
Girls B Group (12-13)
Bridget Lockwood – Hampton Lifeguard Assoc., N.Y.
Boys B Group (12-13)
Wyatt Neitz – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.
Girls C Group (9-11)
Keira Muety – LBNY Rescue, N.Y.
Boys C Group (9-11)
Wyatt Warkentin – Santa Barbara Lifeguard Assoc., Calif.
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 (15-18)
Lucy Noble – Volusia Surf Lifesaving Association, Fla.
Boys Under-19 (15-18)
Roman Higgins – California State Lifeguard Assoc.
Girls A Group (14-15)
Emily Sudol – Monmouth County, N.J.
Boys A Group (14-15)
Luke Olsen – Jones Beach State Park, N.Y.
Girls B Group (12-13)
Reese Biggie – Monmouth County, N.J.
Boys B Group (12-13)
Thomas Rocher – California State Lifeguard Assoc.
Girls C Group (9-11)
Sloane Biggie – Monmouth County, N.J.
Boys C Group (9-11)
Dylan Sudol – Monmouth County, N.J.
IRONMAN/IRONWOMAN: Competitors cover a course that includes a swim leg, a board leg, a ski leg and a beach sprint finish.
Boys Under-19 (15-18)
Charles Franzen – Santa Barbara County-Campus Point, Calif.
Girls Under-19 (15-18)
Elizabeth Brennan – Volusia Surf Lifesaving Assoc., Fla.
Girls A Group (14-15)
Emily Sudol – Monmouth County, N.J.
Boys A Group (14-15)
Lars Olsen – Jones Beach State Park, N.Y.
IRONGUARD: Competitors cover a course that includes a swim leg, a run leg and a paddle leg.
Girls B Group (12-13)
Keira Burke – Capitola Beach Lifeguard Assoc., Calif.
Boys B Group (12-13)
Wyatt Neitz – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.
Girls C Group (9-11)
Heidi Rizzo – Hampton Lifeguard Assoc., N.Y.
Boys C Group (9-11)
Wyatt Warkentin – Santa Barbara Lifeguard Assoc., Calif.
RESCUE RACE: Four competitors from each team participate in this event: a “victim”, one rescue tube swimmer, and two rescuers. The victim swims approximately 120m 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. In the A, B, and C divisions, this is a two-person event where one Junior Guard serves as a “victim” and one Junior Guard serves as the rescuer.
Girls Under-19 (15-18)
Lucy Noble, Mackenzie O’Keefe, Sae Ackerstein (Santa Cruz Lifesaving Assoc.), Elizabeth Brennan – Volusia Surf Lifesaving Assoc., Fla.
Boys Under-19 (15-18)
Connor Bradley, Colin Mamaril, Davis Pelton, Owen Comeyne – Virginia Beach Lifesaving Assoc., Va.
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 (15-18)
Colin Mamaril – Virginia Beach Lifesaving Association, Va.
Girls Under-19 (15-18)
Lucy Noble – Volusia Surf Lifesaving Association, Fla.
Boys A Group (14-15)
Lars Olsen – Jones Beach State Park, N.Y.
Girls A Group (14-15)
Emily Sudol – Monmouth County, N.J.
Boys B Group (12-13)
Mit Muni – Long Beach Lifeguard Assoc., Calif.
Girls B Group (12-13)
Grace Barrows – Monmouth County, N.J.
Boys C Group (9-11)
Wyatt Warkentin – Santa Barbara Lifeguard Assoc., Calif.
Girls C Group (9-11)
Keira Muety – LBNY Rescue, N.Y.
SURF SKI RACE: 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.
Boys Under-19 (15-18)
Charles Franzen – Santa Barbara County-Campus Point, Calif.
Girls Under-19 (15-18)
Elizabeth Brennan – Volusia Surf Lifesaving Association, Fla.
SURF TEAMS: Teams of three complete a swim relay race.
Boys A Group (14-15)
Liam Knight, Miles Menu, Nicholas Chavez – Hampton Lifeguard Assoc., N.Y.
Girls A Group (14-15)
Emily Sudol, Sydney VanDeBoe, Grace Lehman – Monmouth County, N.J.
Boys B Group (12-13)
Mit Muni – Long Beach Lifeguard Assoc., Calif.
Mason Espin – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.
Wyatt Neitz – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.
Girls B Group (12-13)
Grace Barrows, Audrey Barrows, Reese Biggie – Monmouth County, N.J.
Boys C Group (9-11)
Dylan Sudol – Monmouth County, N.J.
Wyatt Warkentin – Santa Barbara Lifeguard Assoc., Calif.
Christopher Lardieri – Monmouth County, N.J.
Girls C Group (9-11)
Mollie Bregman – Long Beach Township, N.J.
Keira Meuty – LBNY Rescue, N.Y.
Josie DiMartino – LBNY Rescue, N.Y.
Admission is free for the annual competition, with all of the action taking place between 23rd and 26th Streets in Virginia Beach. All competitions begin at 7 a.m. and run until the end of the day. A full schedule of events is available to view HERE. 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.
The USLA National Lifeguard Championships continue Thursday at 7 a.m. ET. 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.
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