DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (August 8, 2015) – The LA County Surf Life Saving Association won the 2015 Nautica United States Lifesaving Association (USLA) National Lifeguard Championships team title on Saturday. The LA County group defeated the Monmouth County team, who captured the title last year, which broke LA County’s winning streak for the previous 27 years.
“All of the athletes worked so hard at this event and I am so proud of each and every one of them for their perseverance and stick-to-itiveness,” said LA County team captain Jay Butki. “It is a good feeling, we are pretty happy with the end result and we cannot wait to come back to Daytona in 2017.”
Professional lifeguards from 55 USLA chapters around the country competed for individual and team honors in water and beach course events that challenge their lifesaving skills. LA County Surf Life Saving Association finished with 1076.625 points, earning the Howard Lee Trophy. Monmouth County finished second with 903.625 points and Volusia County Surf Lifesaving Association took third with 307.750 points. In the B Division (chapters with 100 lifeguards or less), Destin, Fla., took the LACOLA Trophy with 576.00 points, beating reigning champions Smith Point, N.Y., who placed second with 410.50 points.
Brian Murphy of LA County Surf Life Saving Association led all men in Open points with a score of 75.750 points. Coronado Beach Lifeguards’, Carter Graves, was the Open women’s points leader, with 90.250 points.
“The energetic atmosphere that we had here in Daytona Beach was unparalleled to any other,” said Ed Zebrowski, Competition Committee Chair for the USLA. “The caliber of athleticism, team spirit and competition was beyond anything we could ask for. These lifeguards are the best in the country and they truly showed that to everyone who was a part of the event.”
The final day of competition saw champions crowned in the 2K Beach Run, Ironman/Ironwoman, Run-Swim-Run, Surf Ski, Board Rescue, Landline, Run Relay and Taplin Relay. For more information and for full results from the 2015 Nautica USLA National Lifeguard Championships, please visit: www.nationalresults.usla.org.
Open (1st through 3rd) and Age Group champions for each of Saturday’s Nautica USLA National Lifeguard Championships events follow:
2K BEACH RUN: Competitors race 2,000 meters on the beach in two 1,000 meter legs as follows: on the starting signal, competitors race along the left side of the lane to round the turning pole 1,000 meters distant, and return 1,000 meters toward the starting pole, then race to cross the finish line. The finish is judged on the competitor’s chest crossing the finish line. Competitors must finish on their feet in an upright position.
Open Men’s
- Brad Hort – Sussex County, Del.
- Zachary Krause – Suffolk, N.Y.
- Harrison Martingayle – Virginia Beach Lifesaving Association, Va.
Open Women’s
- Paige Duca – Hampton Lifeguard Association, N.Y.
- Holly Stanton – Destin, Fla.
- Kevyn Murphy – LA County Surf Life Saving Association, Calif.
Men’s 30-34
- Cyrus Writer – Dania Beach, Fla.
Women’s 30-34
- Mallory Kennedy – Volusia Surf Lifesaving Association, Fla.
Men’s 35-39
- Chad Motz – Nags Head, N.C.
Women’s 35-39
- Carrie Purdy – Volusia Surf Lifesaving Association, Fla.
Men’s 40-44
- Alcides De Quesada – Hollywood Beach, Fla.
Women’s 40-44
- Tamra Marris – Volusia Surf Lifesaving Association, Fla.
Men’s 45-49
- David Cupp – Miami Beach, Fla.
Women’s 45-49
- Chris Linkletter – LA County Surf Life Saving Association, Fla.
Men’s 50-54
- Jack Fuchs – Long Beach, N.Y.
Women’s 50-54
- Ann Finley – LA County Surf Life Saving Association, Calif.
Men’s 55-59
- Thomas Carey – Long Beach, N.Y.
Women’s 55-59
- Janet Carbin – Monmouth County, N.J.
Men’s 60-64
- Murray Baker – Vero Beach, Fla.
Women’s 60-64
- Susan Wallis – Jax Beach, Fla.
Men’s 65-69
- James Dinneen – Volusia Surf Lifesaving Association, Fla.
Men’s 70+
- April O’ Gorman – Volusia Surf Lifesaving Association, Fla.
BOARD RESCUE: One member of the team swims 120 meters (approx.) to a designated buoy, signals and waits to be picked up by the second member of the team on a board. The both paddle to shore and cross the finish line on the beach with the board. Competitors must start from the correct allotted position. Competitors swimming to and signaling from the wrong buoy shall be disqualified.
Open Men’s
- Cooper Halligan & Oliver Puddick – Destin, Fla.
- Brian Murphy & Kevin Fink – LA County Surf Life Saving Association, Calif.
- Shane Scoogins & Hogan Inscore – LA County Surf Life Saving Association, Calif.
Open Women’s
- Hallie Petersohn & Mallory Kennedy – Volusia Surf Lifesaving Association, Fla.
- Colleen O’Donnell & Kevyn Murphy – Los Angeles City Lifeguard Association, Calif. & LA County Surf Life Saving Association, Calif.
- Jessica Collins & Madeline McCullagh – Destin, Fla.
LANDLINE: This event consists of four competitors: one victim, one landline swimmer and two landline pullers. Each team will be assigned to a lane and corresponding flag buoy by random draw immediately before the heat. Heats will start, the landline swimmer with the shoulder strap or harness already on, swims in the assigned lane to the victim. Only the landline pullers may feed line to the swimmer. When the swimmer reaches the victim, the swimmer raises one arm in the air as a sign to the pullers to commence pulling. The victim must hold onto the rescue can with both hands at all times and may kick. Upon signal from the swimmer, the pullers pull victim and swimmer to the beach. Pulling area is restricted to the assigned lane and may be no greater than 25 meters long.
Open
- Ian Fogarty, Kevin Konarski, Pat Scribner & Sandi Woodhead – Smith Point, N.Y.
- Mariusz Borkowski, Jacqueline Dominger, Erik Gorman & Keith Kolar – Smith Point, N.Y.
- Rich Andrews, Brendon Andrews, George Klein & Ryan Zabovnik – Town of Palm Beach, Fla.
4 X 100 RUN RELAY: Teams of four individuals compete in a baton relay fashioned over a 90 meter course. To start, two competitors take position in the assigned lane at each end of the course. After the start, each competitor completes a leg of the course with a baton held in either hand and passes the baton at the conclusion of the first, second and third leg to the next runner. All competitors shall finish their leg of the event on their feet and in an upright position.
Open Men’s
- Dustin Venables (Sussex County, Del.), Youcef Belrachid, Adam Bielawski & Scott McGiffin – Ocean City, M.d.
- Bryant Wheatley, Sean O’Donnell, Connor Worthington & Garrett Diehl – Sussex County, Del.
- Nathan Jones, Samuel McMillion, Louis Fedele & Nicholas DiGuglielmo – Sussex County, Del.
Open Women’s
- Paige Duca, Amanda Calabrese, Lucy Kolhoff & Sophie Kolhoff – Hampton Lifeguard Association, N.Y.
- Anne Skimmons, Sarah George, Kristen DiTommaso & Mary Kate George – Monmouth County, N.J.
- Danielle Wong, Kevyn Murphy, Sarah Burris & Tianna Pugliese – LA County Surf Life Saving Association, Calif.
RUN-SWIM-RUN: From the start line, competitors run to pass around the turning flag and enter the water to swim out to and around the buoys. Competitors swim back to the beach to again run around the turning flag before running to the finish line.
Open Men’s
- Thomas O’Neill – Riis Park, N.Y.
- Pat Kilgallen – Riis Park, N.Y.
- Christian Foti – Riis Park, N.Y.
Open Women’s
- Kelsey Cummings – Long Beach Lifeguard Association, Calif.
- Hallie Petersohn – Volusia Surf Lifesaving Association, Fla.
- Carter Graves – Coronado Beach Lifeguards, Calif.
Men’s 30-34
- Corey McMeeking – Volusia Surf Lifesaving Association, Fla.
Women’s 30-34
- Mallory Kennedy – Volusia Surf Lifesaving Association, Fla.
Men’s 35-39
- Todd Sudol – Monmouth County, N.J.
Women’s 35-39
- Carrie Purdy – Volusia Surf Lifesaving Association, Fla.
Men’s 40-44
- Mike Barrows – Monmouth County, N.J.
Women’s 40-44
- Cindy Fajardo – Sussex County, N.J.
Men’s 45-49
- Randy Eickhoff – California State Lifeguard Association, Calif.
Women’s 45-49
- Chris Linkletter – LA County Surf Life Saving Association, Calif.
Men’s 50-54
- Charlie Lydecker – Smith Point, N.Y.
Women’s 50-54
- Gwen Petersohn – Volusia Surf Lifesaving Association, N.Y.
Men’s 55-59
- John Forrester – Monmouth County, N.J.
Women’s 55-59
- Janet Carbin – Monmouth County, N.J.
Men’s 60-64
- Murray Baker – Vero Beach, Fla.
Women’s 60-64
- Leigh Emerson-Smith – Miami Beach, Fla.
Men’s 65-69
- Ed Heinrich – LA County Surf Life Saving Association, Calif.
Men’s 70+
- John Sink – Monmouth County, N.J.
IRONMAN/IRONWOMAN: Competitors cover a 1,400 meter (approx.) course that includes a swim leg, a board leg, a ski leg and a beach sprint finish.
Open Men’s
- Brian Murphy – LA County Surf Life Saving Association, Calif.
- Oliver Puddick – Destin, Fla.
- Cooper Halligan – Destin, Fla.
Open Women’s
- Eva Porter – Monmouth County, N.J.
- Jenna Solberg – LA County Surf Life Saving Association, Calif.
- Jessica Collins – Destin, Fla.
SURF SKI: Competitors steady their skis in line in knee-deep water about 1.5 meters apart. Competitors paddle their skis around the apex course marked by three 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.
Open Men’s
- Oliver Puddick – Destin, Fla.
- Jacob Marks – Destin, Fla.
- Tim Burdiak – LA County Surf Life Saving Association, Calif.
Open Women’s
- Madeline McCullagh – Destin, Fla.
- Eva Porter – Monmouth County, N.J.
- Tandis Morgan – LA County Surf Life Saving Association, Calif.
TAPLIN RELAY: Teams of four competitors (one swimmer, one board paddler, one surf skier and one runner) cover the approximately 1,400 meter course in a sequence of legs determined by draw at the start of each competition. The run leg is always the final leg. If the ski leg is first, competitors shall start with a typical in-water start.
Open Men’s
- Patrick Jacobson, Brian Murphy, Tim Burdiak & Kevin Fink – LA County Surf Life Saving Association, Calif.
- Bryce Orchard, Cooper Halligan, Justin Lewis & Oliver Puddick – Destin, Fla.
- Jake Moses, Jacob Marks, Luke Turner & Chris Wise – Destin, Fla.
Open Women’s
- Tandis Morgan, Jenna Solberg, Kelsey Cummings & Tiana Pugliese – LA County Surf Life Saving Association, Calif.
- Carter Graves (Coronado Beach Lifeguards, Calif.), Danielle Wong, Maria Bird & Sarah Burris – LA County Surf Life Saving Association, Calif.
- Jessica Collins, Kisane Irwin, Madeline McCullagh & Holly Stanton – Destin, Fla.
Swimming news courtesy of USLA.
