The Nautica United States Lifesaving Association (USLA) National Lifeguard Championships kicked off in Daytona Beach, Fla., Wednesday with the National Junior Lifeguard Championships featuring more than 300 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 newly formed Under-19 competition, comprised of both junior and professional lifeguards ages 16-18, competed in nine events. Junior competitors from Hampton, Jones Beach, Hollywood Beach, Monmouth County, Honolulu, Deerfield Beach, Pompano Beach, LA County, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, Newport Beach, Virginia Beach and Volusia Surf 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 Nautica National Junior Lifeguard Championships follow:
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 A Group (14-15, 2km distance run)
Grant Gilbert – Monmouth County, N.J.
Girls A Group (14-15, 2km distance run)
Bridget Alex – Hollywood Beach, Fla.
Boys B Group (12-13, 2km distance run)
Johnny Nutt – Monmouth County, N.J.
Girls B Group (12-13, 2km distance run)
Sophia Swanson – Hampton Lifeguard Association, N.Y.
Boys C Group (9-11, 2km distance run)
Jake Schulte –Pompano Beach, Fla.
Girls C Group (9-11, 2km distance run)
Sydney Yodh – Monmouth County, N.J.
Boys Under-19 (16-18, 2km distance run)
Harrison Martingayle – Virginia Beach Lifesaving Association, Va.
Girls Under-19 (16-18, 2km distance run)
Sierra Koehler – Jones Beach State Park, N.Y.
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.
Boys A Group (14-15)
Chasen Dubs – Hampton Lifeguard Association, N.Y.
Girls A Group (14-15)
Holly Maine – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.
Boys B Group (12-13)
Brendan Williams – Jones Beach State Park, N.Y.
Girls B Group (12-13)
Isabella Taylor – Pompano Beach, Fla.
Boys C Group (9-11)
Angelo Martinez – Hollywood Beach, Fla.
Girls C Group (9-11)
Mallory Schleicher – Hollywood Beach, Fla.
Boys Under-19 (16-18)
Hayden Hemmens – Newport Beach Ocean Lifeguard Association, Calif.
Girls Under-19 (16-18)
Bella Siering – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.
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 A Group (14-15)
Chasen Dubs – Hampton Lifeguard Association, N.Y.
Girls A Group (14-15)
Holly Maine – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.
Boys B Group (12-13)
Brendan Williams – Jones Beach State Park, N.Y.
Girls B Group (12-13)
Summer Schulte – Pompano Beach, Fla.
Boys C Group (9-11)
Angelo Martinez – Hollywood Beach, Fla.
Girls C Group (9-11)
Mallory Schleicher – Hollywood Beach, Fla.
Boys Under-19 (16-18)
Hayden Hemmens – Newport Beach Ocean Lifeguard Association, Calif.
Girls Under-19 (16-18)
Bella Siering – LA County Surf Life Saving Association, Calif.
RESCUE 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.
Boys A Group (14-15)
Chasen Dubs – Hampton Lifeguard Association, N.Y.
Girls A Group (14-15)
Holly Maine – LA County Surf Life Saving Association, Calif.
Boys B Group (12-13)
Aidan Forst – Hampton Lifeguard Association, N.Y.
Girls B Group (12-13)
Summer Schulte – Pompano Beach, Fla.
Boys C Group (9-11)
Jake Schulte – Pompano Beach, Fla.
Boys Under-19 (16-18)
Ben Coffey – Santa Cruz Lifesaving Association, Calif.
Girls Under-19 (16-18)
Ananda Calabrese – Hampton Lifeguard Association, Calif.
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 A Group (14-15)
Chasen Dubs – Hampton Lifeguard Association, N.Y.
Girls A Group (14-15)
Holly Maine – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.
Boys B Group (12-13)
Aidan Forst – Hampton Lifeguard Association, N.Y.
Girls B Group (12-13)
Isabella Taylor – Pompano Beach, Fla.
Boys C Group (9-11)
Jake Schulte – Pompano Beach, Fla.
Girls C Group (9-11)
Mallory Schleicher – Hollywood Beach, Fla.
Boys Under-19 (16-18)
Ben Brewer – Santa Barbara Lifeguard Association, Calif.
Girls Under-19 (16-18)
Bella Siering – LA County Surf Life Saving Association, Calif.
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.
Boys A Group (14-15)
Val Ferraro – Hampton Lifeguard Association, N.Y.
Girls A Group (14-15)
Emma Kopp – Jones Beach State Park, N.Y.
Boys B Group (12-13)
Spencer Flynn – Monmouth County, N.J.
Girls B Group (12-13)
Lila Ferraro – Hampton Lifeguard Association, N.Y.
Boys C Group (9-11)
Thomas Calice – Pompano Beach, Fla.
Girls C Group (9-11)
Emilee Sanders – Volusia Surf Lifesaving Association, Fla.
Boys Under-19 (16-18)
Zachary Clarke – Deerfield Beach, Fla.
Girls Under-19 (16-18)
Amanda Calabrese – Hampton Lifeguard Association, N.Y.
SWIM RELAY: A team event made up of five swimmers in which each team member swims out and around the designated buoys and returns to the beach to tag the next swimmer.
Combined A Group
Mia Marquez, Chase Perry, Shane Schulte, Alejandro Quinones, Ronald Hache – Pompano Beach, Fla.
Combined B Group
Ryan Shannon, Grady Olsen, Brendan Williams, Chester J. Pergan III, Emma Claps – Jones Beach State Park, N.Y.
Combined C Group
Richie Chiarella, Cole Pergan, Owen Glaser, Peter Prinzivall, Jack Nixon – Jones Beach State Park, N.Y.
Combined Under-19
Nicos Prokopiou, Nicholas Galeto, Noah Chernik, Sierra Koehler, Loudon Meringolo – Jones Beach State Park, N.Y.
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.
Boys Under-19
Hunter Pflueger – Honolulu, Hawaii
Girls Under-19
Madeline McCullagh – Destin, Fla.
Hosted by the Volusia Surf Lifesaving Association in conjunction with the Volusia County’s Beach Safety Division, the USLA National Lifeguard Championships continue Thursday at 8 a.m. ET on Daytona Beach in front of the Hilton Daytona Beach Resort/Ocean Walk Village (100 N. Atlantic Ave.).
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 Nautica USLA National Lifeguard Championships in Daytona 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. The event is livestreamed to on www.usla.org.
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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.
About Nautica
Founded in 1983, Nautica® is a leading global lifestyle brand ranging from men’s, women’s and children’s apparel and accessories to a complete home collection. Nautica® products are refined casual classics inspired and energized by the water that are always crisp, clean and distinct. Today Nautica® is available in more than 75 countries with 276 full price Nautica® branded stores and close to 2000 Nautica branded shop-in-shops worldwide. In 2003, the Company was acquired by VF Corporation, a global leader in branded lifestyle apparel and footwear with more than 30 brands. The company’s five largest brands are The North Face®, Vans®, Wrangler®, Timberland®, and Lee®. Other brands include 7 For All Mankind®, Bulwark®, Eagle Creek®, Eastpak®, Ella Moss®, JanSport®, Kipling®, lucy®, Majestic®, Napapijri®, Nautica®, Red Kap®, Reef®, Riders®, Splendid® and SmartWool®. For additional information, please go to www.nautica.com and www.vfc.com.
Swimming News is courtesy Nautica United States Lifesaving Association.
