Monmouth County top LA County ending 27-year reign

The Monmouth County Chapter – representing a variety of Jersey Shore beaches – captured the 2014 Nautica United States Lifesaving Association (USLA) National Lifeguard Championships team title on Saturday, Aug. 9 in Virginia Beach, Va. The Monmouth County group defeated the LA County Surf Life Saving Association, who had captured the team title for the 27 previous years.

“What is it, a 27 year run from LA County? Half our team isn’t even 27 years-old,” said Monmouth County team captain Mike Tomaino. “To see this dream come true, with all the hard work, preparation and competition that Monmouth County lifeguards have done, it’s an incredible feeling and satisfying conclusion to the season. But we already need to start looking toward next year, because LA County won’t be satisfied with second place for long.”

“The coaches are proud of all the Monmouth County competitors and lifeguards, even those who couldn’t make it to Virginia Beach – they’re all a part of it.”

Professional lifeguards from 64 USLA chapters around the country competed for individual and team honors in water and beach course events that challenge their lifesaving skills. Monmouth County finished with 1,217.348 team points, earning the Howard Lee Trophy. LA County Surf Life Saving Association finished second with 1,001.350. Smith Point took the B Division (chapters with 100 lifeguards or less) Title, earning the LACOLA Trophy with 371.62 points.

Brian Murphy of LA County Surf Life Saving Association led all men in Open points scored with 84.875. Also from LA County was the Open women’s points leader, Kelsey O’Donnell with 95.9.

“The level of athleticism and competition at Nationals gets better and better each year,” said Ed Zebrowski, Competition Committee Chair for the USLA. “After knocking on the door for so many years, it’s great to see Monmouth County take the USLA title from the LA County Surf Life Saving Association. I’m certain the East Coast – West Coast rivalry will continue in 2015; guards will continue to elevate their lifesaving skills for next year’s Nationals in Daytona Beach.”

The final day of competition saw champions crowned in the 2K Beach Run, American Ironman/Ironwoman, Run-Swim-Run, Surf Ski, Board Rescue, Landline, Run Relay and Taplin Relay. For more information and for full results from the 2014 Nautica USLA National Lifeguard Championships, please visit: www.nationalresults.usla.org.

Although competition in Virginia Beach has come to an end, you can see more of the action next month. Celebrating 50 years of lifesaving, the USLA National Lifeguard Championships will air nationwide on Universal Sports Network on Monday, Sept. 15 at 8 p.m. ET.

Produced by Castle Media of Australia, the highlights show will showcase beach safety and the nation’s strongest waterfront first responders. Check local listings to find USN on your channel finder, or visit www.Universalsports.com.

Open (1^st through 3^rd) and Age Group champions for each of Saturday’s Nautica USLA National Lifeguard Championships events follow:

AMERICAN IRONMAN: Competitors cover a 1,400 meter (approx.) course that includes a swim leg, a board leg, a solo surf boat and a beach sprint finish.

Open Men’s

1. Matt Nunnally – Monmouth County, N.J.
2. Jeff Hart – LA County Surf Life Saving Association, Calif.
3. Ryan Matthews – LA County Surf Life Saving Association, Calif.

AMERICAN IRONWOMAN: Competitors cover a 950 meter (approx.) course that includes a swim leg, a board leg and a beach sprint finish.

Open Women’s

1. Jenna Solberg – LA County Surf Life Saving Association, Calif.
2. Caren Guyett – Monmouth County, N.J.
3. Coral Kemp – LA County Surf Life Saving Association, Calif.

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

1. Zachary Krause – Suffolk, N.Y.
2. Pat Fannon – Jones Beach State Park, N.Y.
3. Anthony Colasurdo – Ocean County, N.J.

Open Women’s

1. Paige Duca – Hampton Lifeguard Association, N.Y.
2. Sarah George – Monmouth County, N.J.
3. Jenna Parker – Monmouth County, N.J.

Men’s 30-34

1. Michael Barrett – Ocean County, N.J.

Women’s 30-34

1. Amie Hufton – Galveston Lifesaving Association, Texas

Men’s 35-39

1. David Dierstein – Virginia Beach Lifesaving Association, Va.

Women’s 35-39

1. Sylvia Wolff – Corolla Ocean Rescue, N.C.

Men’s 40-44

1. Jeffrey Lewis – Galveston Lifesaving Association, Texas

Women’s 40-44

1. Jennifer Cawthern – Ocean City, Md.

Men’s 45-49

1. Craig Brierley – Hampton Lifeguard Association, N.Y.

Women’s 45-49

1. Katie McCully – Cape Cod, Mass.

Men’s 50-54

1. Charlie Lydecker – Smith Point, N.Y.

Women’s 50-54

1. Ann Finley – LA County Surf Life Saving Association, Calif.

Men’s 55-59

1. Gregory Johnson – Cape Cod, Mass.

Women’s 55-59

1. Janet Carbin – Monmouth County, N.J.

Men’s 60-64

1. Eldin Onsgard – LA County Surf Life Saving Association, Calif.

Women’s 60-64

1. Susan Wallis – Jax Beach, Fla.

Men’s 65-69

1. Rick Stimpson – Monmouth County, N.J.

Men’s 70+

1. Louis Dwyer – South Jersey, N.J.

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

1. Brian Murphy & Kevin Fink – LA County Surf Life Saving Association & Long Beach Lifeguard Association, Calif.
2. Thomas O’Neill & Brian O’Neill – Riis Park, N.Y.
3. Cooper Halligan & Oliver Puddick – Destin, Fla.

Open Women’s

1. Coral Kemp – LA County Surf Life Saving Association, Calif.
2. Kelsey O’Donnell – LA County Surf Life Saving Association, Calif.
3. Hannah Elliott – Monmouth County, N.J.

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

1. Phil Cabasino, Tim Cabasino, James Canner & PJ Gillespie – Long Beach, N.Y.
2. Steve Conrad, Lindsey Gerkens Lynskey, Hunter Hay & Maurice Peacock – Wrightsville Beach, N.C.
3. Cooper Halligan, Cameron Prosser, Oliver Puddick & Chris Wise – Destin, Fla.

BEACH 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

1. Jonathan Cuomo, Garrett Thibodeau, Charles Appel & Matt Messina – Smith Point, N.Y.
2. Youcef Belrachid, Shane Neumann, Justyn Zangwill & Charles Swartz – Ocean City, Md.
3. Niccolas Albert, Jeff Munro, James Hagen & Michael Katz – Sussex County, Del.

Open Women’s

1. Anne Skimmons, Kristen Ditommaso, Sarah George & Carolyn Fittin – Monmouth County, N.J.
2. Erin Ricker, Josie Nixon, Jaclyn Coveleski & Jane Roope – Sussex County, Del.
3. Christa Narus, Sandi Woodhead, Nicole Lomeli & Brianne Jackolski – Smith Point, N.Y.

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

1. Pat Kilgallen – Riis Park, N.Y.
2. Thomas O’Neill – Riis Park, N.Y.
3. Patrick Fink – LA County Surf Life Saving Association, Calif.

Open Women’s

1. Hannah Elliott – Monmouth County, N.J.
2. Kendall Towe – Sussex County, Del.
3. Hallie Petersohn – Volusia Surf Lifesaving Association, Fla.

Men’s 30-34

1. Corey McMeeking – Volusia Surf Lifesaving Association, Fla.

Women’s 30-34

1. Jenna Parker – Monmouth County, N.J.

Men’s 35-39

1. Chris Egan – California State Lifeguard Association, Calif.

Women’s 35-39

1. Sylvia Wolff – Corolla Ocean Rescue, N.C.

Men’s 40-44

1. Matt Nunnally – Monmouth County, N.J.

Women’s 40-44

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

Men’s 45-49

1. Petko Prachtakov – Hollywood Beach, Calif.

Women’s 45-49

1. Katie McCully – Cape Cod, Mass.

Men’s 50-54

1. Charlie Lydecker – Smith Point, N.Y.

Women’s 50-54

1. Ann Finley – LA County Surf Life Saving Association, Calif.

Men’s 55-59

1. John Forrester – Monmouth County, N.J.

Women’s 55-59

1. Janet Carbin – Monmouth County, N.J.

Men’s 60-64

1. Jack Martin – Monmouth County, N.J.

Women’s 60-64

1. Shannon Sullivan – LA County Surf Life Saving Association, Calif.

Men’s 65-69

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

Men’s 70+

1. James Somers – Monmouth County, N,J,

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

1. Oliver Puddick – Destin, Fla.
2. Rich Sprout – California State Lifeguard Association, Calif.
3. Cooper Halligan – Destin, Fla.

Open Women’s

1. Alexandra Ferguson – Canada
2. Tandis Morgan – LA County Surf Life Saving Association, Calif.
3. Madison Quinn – Destin, Fla.

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

1. Rich Sprout, Chris Egan, Shane Scoggins & Collin Baratte – California State Lifeguard Association, Calif.
2. Brian Murphy, Tim Burdiak, Jeff Hart & Brandon Henry-Snell – LA County Surf Life Saving Association, Calif.
3. Oliver Puddick, Bryce Orchard, Cameron Prosser & Taylor Hardy – Destin, Fla.

Open Women’s

1. Tandis Morgan, Coral Kemp, Jenna Solberg & Kelsey O’Donnell – LA County Surf Life Saving Association, Calif.
2. Caren Guyett, Jennifer Noonan, Annie Fittin & Sarah George – Monmouth County, N.J.
3. Shelley Griffith, Hannah Elliott, Hayley Masi & Jennifer Rau – Monmouth County, N.J.

About USLA

The United States Lifesaving Association is America’s nonprofit professional association of beach lifeguards and open water rescuers. USLA works to reduce the incidence of death and injury in the aquatic environment through public education, national lifeguard standards, training programs, promotion of high levels of lifeguard readiness, and other means. Lifeguard competition in the U.S. owes its heritage to the Surf Lifesaving competitions in Australia. The first National Lifeguard Competition under the USLA banner was held in San Diego in August of 1980, bringing members of the various chapters from around the nation to compete. There are now more than 100 chapters of USLA, each affiliated with local lifesaving services and beach patrols, and composed of employees of these organizations. For more information, please visit www.uslanationals.org.

 Swimming News courtesy of The United States Lifesaving Association.