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 300 young participants from USLA-affiliated lifeguard programs across the country.
These future lifeguarding hopefuls, ages nine-15, competed in nine events in three age categories for individual titles. The Under-19 competition, comprised of both junior and professional lifeguards ages 16-18, competed in eight events. Junior competitors from Virginia Beach, Hampton Beach, Jones Beach, Monmouth County, Capitola Beach, Pompano Beach, Hollywood Beach, Sussex County, San Luis Obispo, Long Beach Island 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)
Lila Ferraro – Hampton Lifeguard Assoc., N.Y.
Boys Under-19 (16-18)
Val Ferraro – Hampton Lifeguard Assoc., N.Y.
Boys A Group (14-15)
William Schlegel – Hampton Lifeguard Assoc., N.Y.
Girls A Group (14-15)
Lizzie Neville – Hampton Lifeguard Assoc., N.Y.
Boys B Group (12-13)
Cooper Harmon – Monmouth County, N.J.
Girls B Group (12-13)
Ava Burke – Capitola Beach Lifeguard Assoc., Calif.
Boys C Group (9-11)
Evan Schaefer – Hampton Lifeguard Assoc., N.Y.
Girls C Group (9-11)
Olivia Wheeler – 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 (16-18, 2km distance run)
Jackson Martingayle – Virginia Beach Lifesaving Association, Va.
Girls Under-19 (16-18, 2km distance run)
Doria Martingayle – Virginia Beach Lifesaving Association, Va.
Boys A Group (14-15, 2km distance run)
Brian Veit – Jones Beach State Park, N.Y.
Girls A Group (14-15, 2km distance run)
Shaylee Grimm – San Luis Obispo County Lifesaving Assoc., Calif.
Boys B Group (12-13, 2km distance run)
Cameron McKay – Sussex County, Va.
Girls B Group (12-13, 2km distance run)
Reese Fahys – Monmouth County, N.J.
Boys C Group (9-11, 2km distance run)
Luke Castillo – Hampton Lifeguard Association, N.Y.
Girls C Group (9-11, 2km distance run)
Morgan Lee – 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 Under-19 (16-18)
Chasen Dubs – Hampton Lifeguard Assoc., N.Y.
Girls Under-19 (16-18)
Caroline Gmelich – Monmouth County, N.J.
Boys A Group (14-15)
Raphael Santos – Pompano Beach, Fla.
Girls A Group (14-15)
Isabella Taylor – Pompano Beach, Fla.
Boys B Group (12-13)
Joseph Rhee – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.
Girls B Group (12-13)
Mary McKenna – Jones Beach State Park, N.Y.
Boys C Group (9-11)
Peter Roca – Hollywood Beach, Fla.
Girls C Group (9-11)
Sofia Burns – 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)
Parris Mosteller – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.
Girls Under-19 (16-18)
Caroline Gmelich – Monmouth County, N.J.
Boys A Group (14-15)
Owen Glaser – Jones Beach State Park, N.Y.
Girls A Group (14-15)
Isabella Taylor – Pompano Beach, Fla.
Boys B Group (12-13)
Hunter Kuenzel – Monmouth County, N.J.
Girls B Group (12-13)
Mary McKenna – Jones Beach State Park, N.Y.
Boys C Group (9-11)
Peter Roca – Hollywood Beach, Fla.
Girls C Group (9-11)
Reese Andres – Pompano Beach, Fla.
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 Under-19 (16-18)
Zane Booth – Santa Barbara Lifeguard Assoc., Calif.
Girls Under-19 (16-18)
Gwendolyn Bencie – Monmouth County, N.J.
Boys A Group (14-15)
Hugh Shields – Long Beach Island, N.J.
Girls A Group (14-15)
Isabella Taylor – Pompano Beach, Fla.
Boys B Group (12-13)
Joseph Rhee – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.
Girls B Group (12-13)
Grace Parnas – Pompano Beach, Fla.
Boys C Group (9-11)
Luke Castillo – Hampton Lifeguard Assoc., N.Y.
Girls C Group (9-11)
Reese Andres – Pompano Beach, Fla.
RESCUE RACE:
Combined A Group (14-15)
Joey Badilla, Kevin Pineda – Hampton Lifeguard Assoc., N.Y.
Combined B Group (12-13)
Rodin McKenna, Nicky Badilla – Hampton Lifeguard Assoc., N.Y.
Combined C Group (9-11)
Colin Veit, Cian Brice – 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)
Cason Wilburn – Virginia Beach Lifesaving Association, Va.
Girls Under-19 (16-18)
Caroline Gmelich – Monmouth County, N.J.
Boys A Group (14-15)
Raphael Santos – Pompano Beach, Fla.
Girls A Group (14-15)
Summer Schulte – Pompano Beach, Fla.
Boys B Group (12-13)
Joseph Rhee – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.
Girls B Group (12-13)
Mary McKenna – Jones Beach State Park, N.Y.
Boys C Group (9-11)
Cian Bice – Jones Beach State Park, N.Y.
Girls C Group (9-11)
Sofia Burns – Jones Beach State Park, N.Y.
IRONPERSON:
Boys Under-19 (16-18)
Zane Booth – Santa Barbara Lifeguard Assoc., Calif.
Girls Under-19 (16-18)
Katelyn Nimsky – LA County Surf Life Saving 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, visitwww.nationalresults.usla.org.
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 is courtesy of USLA.
