Junior Guards Competition Highlights First Day of USLA Championships

HERMOSA BEACH, Calif. (Aug. 10, 2016) — The United States Lifesaving Association (USLA) National Lifeguard Championships presented by Toyota kicked off in Hermosa Beach, Calif., 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 Under-19 competition, comprised of both junior and professional lifeguards ages 16-18, competed in nine events. Junior competitors from California State, Hampton, Honolulu, Huntington Beach, Jones Beach, Kauai, Los Angeles, Monmouth County, Oceanside, Pompano, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Seal 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 National Junior Lifeguard Championships presented by Toyota follow:

RESCUE RACE: 

Combined Under-19 Group 

Ben Brewer – Santa Barbara Lifeguard Association, Calif.

William Abele – California Sate Lifeguard Association

Combined A Group (14-15)

Jack Machorerk, James Pratt – Kauai Lifesaving Association, Hawaii

Combined B Group (12-13)

Summer Schulte, Isabella Taylor – Pompano Beach, Fla.

Combined C Group (9-11)

Wade Sherlock, Nathan Tauscher – Long Beach Lifeguard Association, Calif.

BEACH RUNAn 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)

Aidan O’Gorman – Volusia Surf Lifesaving Association, Fla.

Girls A Group (14-15, 2km distance run)

Victoria Hennessey – Kauai Lifesaving Association, Hawaii

Boys B Group (12-13, 2km distance run)

Cormac Carew – Los Angeles County Surf Life Saving Association, Calif.

Girls B Group (12-13, 2km distance run)

Bella Brannon – Huntington Beach Surf Lifesaving Association, Calif.

Boys C Group (9-11, 2km distance run)

Zachary Chapin – Los Angeles County Surf Life Saving Association, Calif.

Girls C Group (9-11, 2km distance run)

Serena Stamford – San Luis Obispo County Lifesaving Association, Calif.

Boys Under-19 (16-18, 2km distance run)

Jake Turman – Monmouth County, N.J.

Girls Under-19 (16-18, 2km distance run)

Doria Martingayle – Virginia Beach Lifesaving Association, Va.

SURF SWIM RACEAn 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)

Brendan Williams – Jones Beach State Park, N.Y.

Girls A Group (14-15)

Danielle McCauley – Oceanside Lifeguard Association, Calif.

Boys B Group (12-13)

Ryan Shannon – Jones Beach State Park, N.Y.

Girls B Group (12-13)

Summer Schulte – Pompano Beach, Fla.

Boys C Group (9-11)

Ryder Dodd – Seal Beach Lifeguard Association, Calif.

Girls C Group (9-11)

Mekaela Kaji – Los Angeles County Life Saving Association, Calif.

Boys Under-19 (16-18)

Ben Brewer – Santa Barbara Lifeguard Association, Calif.

Girls Under-19 (16-18)

Bella Siering – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.

RUN-SWIM-RUNAn 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)

Aide O’Gorman – Volusia Surf Lifesaving Association, Fla.

Girls A Group (14-15)

Siena Lucido – Los Angeles County Surf Life Saving Association, Calif.

Boys B Group (12-13)

Ryan Shannon – Jones Beach State Park, N.Y.

Girls B Group (12-13)

Michaela Rutigliano – Jones Beach State Park, N.Y.

Boys C Group (9-11)

Ryder Dodd – Seal Beach Lifeguard Association, Calif.

Girls C Group (9-11)

Serena Stamford – San Luis Obispo County Lifesaving Association, Calif.

Boys Under-19 (16-18)

Oli Holt – California State Lifeguard Association

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)

Zane Booth – Santa Barbara Lifeguard Association, Calif.

Girls A Group (14-15)

Danielle McCauley – Oceanside Lifeguard Association, Calif.

Boys B Group (12-13)

Kellen O’Rourke – Kauai Lifesaving Association, Hawaii

Girls B Group (12-13)

Summer Schulte – Pompano Beach, Fla.

Boys C Group (9-11)

Tristan Watson – Los Angeles County Surf Life Saving Association, Calif.

Girls C Group (9-11)

Reese Conway – Los Angeles County Surf Life Saving Association, Calif.

Boys Under-19 (16-18)

Hunter Pflueger – City of Honolulu, Hawaii

Girls Under-19 (16-18)

Holly Maine – Los Angeles County Surf Life Saving 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)

Danielle McCauley – Oceanside Lifeguard Association, Calif.

Boys B Group (12-13)

Ryan Shannon – Jones Beach State Park, N.Y.

Girls B Group (12-13)

Summer Schulte – Pompano Beach, Fla.

Boys C Group (9-11)

Jake Schulte – Pompano Beach, Fla.

Girls C Group (9-11)

Serena Stamford – San Luis Obispo County Lifesaving Association, Calif.

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)

Jeff Haas – California State Lifeguard Association

Girls A Group (14-15)

Amelia Corpuz-Carr – San Luis Obispo County Lifesaving Association, Calif.

Boys B Group (12-13)

Taylor Demarais – California State Lifeguard Association

Girls B Group (12-13)

Julia Pitrowski – San Luis Obispo County Lifesaving Association, Calif.

Boys C Group (9-11)

Jax Bruton – Seal Beach Lifeguard Association, Calif.

Girls C Group (9-11)

Macie Buell – Seal Beach Lifeguard Association, Calif.

Boys Under-19 (16-18)

Miles Ferraro – Hampton Lifeguard Association, N.Y.

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

Daniel Cumnock-Francois, Julia Foster, Caleb Gorman, Parris Mosteller, Ethan Yoo – Los Angeles County Life Saving Association, Calif.

Combined B Group

Chase Dodd, Ella Gannon, Lucas Torgerson – Seal Beach Lifeguard Association, Calif.

Lukas Haug, Janna Tauscher – Long Beach Lifeguard Association, Calif.

Combined C Group

Ben Tunila, Makaela Kaji, Dylan Davidoff, Sawyer Mosteller, Tristan Watson – Los Angeles County Surf Life Saving Association

Combined Under-19 

William Abele, Benjamin Tran, Oli Holt – California State Lifeguard Association

Schuyler Cole – City of Honolulu, Hawaii

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 – City of Honolulu, Hawaii

Girls Under-19

Amanda Calabrese – Hampton Lifeguard Association, N.Y.

Hosted by the Los Angeles County Surf Life Saving Association (LACoSLSA), the USLA National Lifeguard Championships continue Thursday at 8 a.m. PT on Hermosa Beach (1300 The Strand).

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 presented by Toyota in Hermosa Beach is free of charge.

For more information on the USLA National Lifeguard Championships and full results from today’s National Junior Lifeguard Championships, visit www.nationalresults.usla.org.

This new story is courtesy of : USLA

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About Caley Oquist

Caley Oquist

Caley Oquist grew up in a small town in Central Minnesota where she learned to swim at the age of four. She found her passion to write when her mother was diagnosed with cancer at the age of nine and has been writing ever since. Apart from her love for …

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