LA County Win USLA National Championship in South Padre Island

Courtesy: United States Lifesaving Association

SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, Texas (Aug. 7, 2021) — LA County Surf Life Saving Association pulled away from the rest of the competition on Saturday to win the coveted Howard Lee Trophy awarded to the 2021 Jersey Mike’s USLA National Champion. This is the 45^th time the team has won the title. The perennial powerhouse from Los Angeles County has now won the overall team championship 31 out of the past 33 years the competition has taken place. Capping off an exciting week in South Padre Island, Sussex County (Del.) finished in second place while Hampton Lifeguard Association (N.Y.) rounded out the podium in third place.

• Click HERE for Full Results

“This year’s event in particular was so important for us because it allowed us to get back to the normalcy of our annual National Championships after the disappointment of not being able to compete last year,” said Gus Avila, USLA President. “When we announced that we would be having the competition this year and we committed to it, there was a ton of excitement and desire from our athletes, officials and volunteers to get back to competing and demonstrating their lifesaving skills. We are very thankful to South Padre Island for allowing our remarkable athletes and the best lifeguards in the country to do exactly that.”

LA County had five athletes finish in the top ten of both the Open Men’s and Women’s individual competition, including second place finisher Kelsey Cummings, Coral Kemp and Holly Maine on the women’s side and Brian Murphy and Jake Miller on the men’s side. The team finished with 1197.75 points. Sussex County, Del. rode dominant team performances in the men’s and women’s Beach Relay as well as a strong individual showing from women’s third place finisher Alexandra Santer to take home silver.

Other top performers in the Jersey Mike’s 2021 USLA National Lifeguard Championships included the men’s overall points winner Ben Brewer, who was impressive all week winning the Ironman, Board Race, Surf Race and Board Rescue events to finish with 124.75 points. He was followed by Thomas O’Neill of Riis Park, who finished with 110.25 points. On the women’s side, American IronWoman champion Casey Francis from Fort Lauderdale Ocean Rescue was the overall points leader with 151, narrowly beating out Cummings who finished with 135.5.

For more information on the USLA National Lifeguard Championships and full results visit http://www.uslanationals.org/.

USLA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS: Saturday, August 7, 2021

Howard Lee Trophy – Overall Points Open and Age Group combined ‘A’ Teams with ranking, chapter and total points:

1. LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc. (Calif.) – 1197.75
2. Sussex County (Del.) – 717.75
3. Hampton Lifeguard Assoc. (N.Y.) – 533.254

LACOLA Trophy – Overall Points Open and Age Group combined ‘B’ Teams with ranking, chapter and total points:

1. Riis Park (N.Y.) – 452.875
2. Fort Lauderdale Ocean Rescue (Fla) – 247
3. Wrightsville Beach (N.C.) – 209.564

Small Chapter Championship Trophy – Overall Points Open and Age Group combined ‘C’ Teams (1-50 lifeguards) with ranking, chapter and total points:

1. Carolina Beach (N.C.) – 237.5
2. Emerald Coast (Fla.) – 38.375
3. Delray Beach Ocean Rescue (Fla.) – 35.125

Greg Farry Trophy – Overall Points Women & Men Open Only with ranking, chapter and total points:

1. LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc. (Calif.) – 831.250
2. Sussex County (Del.) – 642.75
3. Hampton Lifeguard Assoc. (N.Y.) – 472.254

Sheridan Byerly Trophy – USLA Region scoring the most Open & Age Group points overall with ranking, chapter and total points:

1. Mid Atlantic – 2353.629
2. Southwest – 1742.75
3. Southeast – 1496.502

Men’s Overall Points Top Finishers

1. Ben Brewer – California State Lifeguard Assoc. – 124.75
2. Thomas O’Neill – Riis Park (N.Y.) – 110.25
3. James Bray – California State Lifeguard Assoc. – 92.75

Women’s Overall Points Top Finishers

1. Casey Francis – Fort Lauderdale Ocean Rescue – 151
2. Kelsey Cummings – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc. – 135.5
3. Alexandra Santer – Sussex County (Del.) – 115.75

SATURDAY’S EVENTS

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 (clockwise or right hand in) the turning pole 1,000 meters distant, and return 1,000 meters toward the starting pole and 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:

1. Kyle Stamper – Carolina Beach, N.C.
2. Adam Snyder – Sussex County, Del.
3. Evan Williams – South Padre Island, Texas

OPEN WOMEN:

1. Haley Wright – Ocean City, Md.
2. Alice Henley – Dania Beach, Fla.
3. Olivia Duca – Hampton Lifeguard Assoc., N.Y.

Age Group: 30-34

               Men: Patrick Berns – Sussex County, Del.

Women: Alice Henley – Dania Beach, Fla.

Age Group: 35-39

Men: Arturo Hurtado – Cameron County, Texas

Women: Tiffany LaCasse – Palm Beach County, Fla.

Age Group: 40-44

Men: Kevin Anderson – Galveston Lifesaving Association, Texas

Women: Amie Hufton – Galveston Lifesaving Association, Texas

Age Group: 45-49

Men: Fintan McCormac – Hampton Lifeguard Assoc., N.Y.

Women: Rachel Gore – South Padre Island, Texas

Age Group: 50-54

Men: Jonathan Tarbet – Hampton Lifeguard Assoc., N.Y.

Women: Mary Teeters – Carolina Beach, N.C.

Age Group: 55-59

Men: Gene Gore – South Padre Island, Texas

Women: Christine Linkletter – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.

Age Group: 60-64

Men: Luiz Freire – Hollywood Beach, Fla.

Age Group: 65-69

Men: Mark Montgomery – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.

Age Group: 70+

Men: John Matesich – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.

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

1. Ben Brewer – California State Lifeguard Assoc., Calif.
2. Thomas O’Neill – Riis Park, N.Y.
3. Brian Murphy – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.

Open Women’s

1. Kelsey Cummings – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.
2. Casey Francis – Fort Lauderdale Ocean Rescue, Fla.
3. Hallie Petersohn – Palm Beach County, Fla.

Age Group: 30-34

               Men: Tim Burdiak – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.

Women: Coral Kemp – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.

Age Group: 35-39

Men: Ryan Matthews – Monmouth County, N.J.

Women: Kimberly Robertson – Palm Beach County, Fla.

Age Group: 40-44

Men: Tyler Morgan – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.

Women: Tandis Morgan – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.

Age Group: 45-49

                Men: Jose Rene Abasolo – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.

                Women: Cindy Fajardo – Sussex County, Del.

Age Group: 50-54

                Men: Sean Turner – Boca Raton, Fla.

                Women: Michelle Davidson – Monmouth County, N.J.

Age Group 55-59

                Men: Randall Eickhoff – California State Lifeguard Assoc., Calif.

               Women: Christine Linkletter – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.

Age Group 60-64

                Men: Merrill Riley – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.

Age Group 65-69:

                Men: Mark Montgomery – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.

Age Group 70+:

                Men: Joel Gitelson – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.

BOARD RESCUE: In this event, one member of the team swims approximately 120 meters to a designated buoy, signals and waits to be picked up by the second member of the team on a board.  They both paddle to shore and cross the finish line on the beach with the board.  Competitors must start the correct allotted position.  Competitors swimming to and signaling from the wrong buoy shall be disqualified.

OPEN MEN:

1. James Bray & Ben Brewer – California State Lifeguard Assoc., Calif.
2. Pat Kilgallen & Thomas O’Neill – Riis Park, N.Y.
3. Brian Murphy & Jake Miller – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.

OPEN WOMEN:

1. April O’Gorman & Hallie Petersohn – Volusia Surf Lifesaving Association/Palm Beach County, Fla.
2. Kelsey Cummings & Coral Kemp – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.
3. Alexandra Santer & Grace Hansen – Sussex County, Del.

LANDLINE RESCUE: This event consists of four persons: one victim, one land-line 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 simmer reaches the victim, the simmer 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.

COMBINED:

1. Brendan Woods (Riis Park), Drew Modrov (Riis Park), Alexandre O’Connor (Fort Lauderdale), Casey Francis (Fort Lauderdale)
2. Ethan McCormac, Sophia Swanson, Connor Grauer, Paige Schaefer – Hampton Lifeguard Assoc., N.Y.
3. Kelsey Cummings, Malcolm Reid, Coral Kemp, Hunter Hay – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.

TAPLIN RELAY: Teams of 4 competitors (1 swimmer, 1 board paddler, 1 surfskier and 1 runner) cove 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 inn-water start.  Conditions of racing each leg are as generally required for the individual condition of that discipline including the rules governing the component disciplines: surf ski races, board races, surf race sand beach sprints. Competitors must commence their leg of the event from the correct allotted beach position. To ensure fair starts and finishes alignment of the start line and finish line to the buoys may be altered at the discretion of the referee, depending on the prevailing sea conditions.

OPEN MEN:

1. Jose Rene Abasolo, Brian Murphy, Tim Burdiak, Matthew Holt – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.
2. Zane Booth (Santa Barbara), James Bray (California State), Jackson Prosser (Long Beach, Calif.), Ben Brewer (California State)
3. Tyler Morgan, Jake Miller, Cade Bruno, Stephen Blaauw – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.

OPEN WOMEN:

1. Lucy Noble (Volusia), Hallie Petersohn (Palm Beach), April O’Gorman (Volusia), Casey Francis (Fort Lauderdale)
2. Leah Timmerman, Kelsey Cummings, Coral Kemp, Holly Maine – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.
3. Amanda Calabrese, Olivia Duca, Kiley Kaiser, Sophia Swanson – Hampton Lifeguard Assoc., N.Y.