Monmouth County (N.J.) Leads National Lifeguard Champs Heading into Final Day

Full Results

VIRIGNIA BEACH, Va. (Aug. 11, 2023) — The United States Lifesaving Association (USLA) National Lifeguard Championships continued in Virginia Beach on Friday with the USLA crowning open champions in Beach Relay Race, American Ironman/Ironwoman, Surf Boat Race, Surf Race and the first-ever Solo Surf Boat Race. The open champions in the fan-favorite men’s and women’s beach flags were also decided under the lights in front of a lively crowd on the scenic Virginia Beach boardwalk. More age-group champions in various categories were also crowned.

At the Jersey Mike’s 2023 USLA National Lifeguard Championships, professional lifeguards from USLA programs from every coast in the United States compete for individual and team honors in water and beach course events that challenge their lifesaving skills.

After two days of competition, Monmouth County (N.J.) leads the Howard Lee National Championship Trophy race for overall points. Sussex County (Del.) benefited from a tremendous day in the beach flags and beach relay events to climb into second place. The reigning champions from LA County Surf Life Saving Association (Calif.) currently sit in third place and will look to make a strong push in the final day of competition on Saturday. Fort Lauderdale Ocean Rescue (Fla.) passed Riis Park (N.Y.) on Friday and currently leads the B Division (chapters with 200 lifeguards or less).

Open (1st through 3rd) and age-group champions for each of Friday’s Jersey Mike’s USLA National Lifeguard Championships events follow:

BEACH RELAY RACE: Teams of four individuals compete in baton relay fashion over a 100-yard course.

Men’s Open

1. Brendan Keane, Dillon McKay, Liam Regan, Simon Pels – Sussex County, Del.
2. Isiah Brittingham, Jodi Johnson, Jorge Lagunes, Konner Knarr – Sussex County, Del.
3. Douglas Alliano, Justin Meyn, Michael Gillam, Nicholas Trnka (LBNY) – Jones Beach State Park, N.Y.

Women’s Open

1. Caitlin McMahon, Logan Rohde, Melaney Heald, Nicolette Phillips – Sussex County, Del.
2. Amy Venables, Hailey Moore, Lainey Shockro, Megan Perdue – Sussex County, Del.
3. Kathleen Crilly, Kelsey Kaub, Marietta Valente, Mary Kate George – Monmouth County, N.J.

SURF BOAT RACE: Two-person surf boat teams row around the three outside buoy courses returning to shore where one member disembarks from the boat and runs up to touch the line. Once across the touchline, the member can return to their surf boat for a second lap, repeating the touch line run. At the finish of the third lap, one member must leave the boat and run up and across the finish line. Three lap races are approximately 2,000 meters with each lap approximately 665 meters.

Men’s Open

1.    John Livingstone & Justin Cattan – Delray Beach Ocean Rescue, Fla.
2. Chris Hoch & Kevin Jones – Deerfield Beach, Fla.
3. Jack Gramlich & Ryan Matthews – Monmouth County, N.J.

Women’s Open

1.    Amy White & Mary Kate George – Monmouth County, N.J.
2. Shelley Griffith & Sherry Griffith – Fort Lauderdale Ocean Rescue, Fla.
3. Casey Francis (Fort Lauderdale) & Tiffany LaCasse (Palm Beach)

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.

Men’s Open

1.    CJ Fritchman – Sussex County, Del.
2. Konner Knarr – Sussex County, Del.
3. Maurice Peacock – Wrightsville Beach, N.C.

Women’s Open

1.    Sophia Gulotti – Sussex County, Del.
2. Shannon Snell – Deerfield Beach, Fla.
3.    Lainey Shockro – Sussex County, Del.

BOARD RACE: Competitors stand on or behind the start line on the beach with their boards 1.5 meters apart. At the start signal, competitors enter the water, launch their boards and paddle the course marked by buoys, return to the beach and run to cross the finish line. Competitors are not permitted to hold or otherwise interfere with other competitors’ boards or deliberately impede their progress.

Men’s Open

1.    Brian Murphy – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.
2. Roman Strohmenger – Deerfield Beach, Fla.
3. Sam Hensen-Thompson – Australia (International)
4.    Dylan Narcowich – Deerfield Beach, Fla.

Men’s 30-34

1. Daniel Lenahan – Deerfield Beach, Fla.

Women’s 30-34

1. Alicia Warren – Delray Beach Ocean Rescue, Fla.

Men’s 35-39

1. AJ Miller – Volusia Surf Lifesaving Association, Fla.

Women’s 35-39

1. Kimberly Robertson – Palm Beach County, Fla.

Men’s 40-44

1. Ryan Matthews – Monmouth County, N.J.

Women’s 40-44

1. Sarah Newcomb-Baker – Cape Cod, Mass.

Men’s 45-49

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

Women’s 45-49

1. Jennifer Noonan – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.

Men’s 50-54

1. Rick Cawthern – Ocean City, Md.

Women’s 50-54

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

Men’s 55-59

1. Randall Eickhoff – California State Lifeguard Assoc.

Women’s 55-59

1. Elizabeth Maresca – Jones Beach State Park, N.Y.

Men’s 60-64

1. David Griffith – Sussex County, Del.

Women’s 60-64

1. Barbara Cronin-Stagnari – Jones Beach State Park, N.Y.

Men’s 65-69

1. John Skudin – LBNY Rescue, N.Y.

Women’s 65-69

1. Nancy Hodges – Virginia Beach Lifesaving Association, Va.

Men’s 70-74

1. Mike Selna – California State Lifeguard Assoc.

Women’s 70-74

1. Susan Wallis – Jax Beach, Fla.

Men’s 75+

1. William Dorney – Monmouth County, N.J.

AMERICAN IRONMAN/IRONWOMAN: Competitors cover a 1400 m (approx.) course that includes a swim leg, a board leg, a solo surfboat leg, and a beach sprint finish. Conditions of racing each leg are as generally required for the individual conditions of that discipline including the rules governing the component disciplines: surfboats, board races, surf races, beach sprints. The sequence of legs shall be determined by draw at the commencement of each competition at least one hour prior to the race. The same ballot shall determine the order of legs for the Ironman and Taplin Relay. If the surf boat leg is first, competitors will start with a typical Surfboat start with a handler.

Men’s Open

1. Ryan Matthews – Monmouth County, N.J.
2. Peyton Ouano – Monmouth County, N.J.
3. AJ Miller – Volusia Surf Lifesaving Association, Fla.

Women’s Open

1. Casey Francis – Fort Lauderdale Ocean Rescue, Fla.
2. Alexandra Santer – Sussex County, Del.
3. Renae Jackson – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.

SOLO SURF BOAT RACE: A Surfboat with a single rower on board rows around the three outside buoy courses returning to shore where they disembark from the boat and run up to and across the finish line. One lap is approximately 700 meters long.

Open Women

1. Amy White – Monmouth County, N.J.
2. Sherry Griffith – Fort Lauderdale Ocean Rescue, Fla.
3. Katie Mazzacco – Monmouth County, N.J.

Open Men

1.    John Livingstone – Delray Beach Ocean Rescue, Fla.
2. Brendan Kipnis – Monmouth County, N.J.
3. Kevin Jones – Deerfield Beach, Fla.

SURF RACE: With a running start into the surf from the start line on the beach, competitors swim around the 400-meter course designated by buoys, around the left end buoy of the flag line to the two black and white buoys returning to shore passing the right end of the flag buoy line to finish between the finish flags on the beach.

Men’s Open

1. Michael Faughnan – Riis Park, N.Y.
2. Thomas O’Neill – Riis Park, N.Y.
3. Lucas Haddad – Riis Park, N.Y.

Women’s Open

1. Kelsey Cummings – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.
2. Samantha Tadder – Virginia Beach Lifesaving Association, Va.
3. Montana White – California State Lifeguard Assoc.

Men’s 30-34

1. Mike Caputo – Monmouth County, N.J.

Women’s 30-34

1. Ashley Smith – Jones Beach State Park, N.Y.

Men’s 35-39

1. Austin Turnbull – Emerald Coast, Fla.

Women’s 35-39

1. Kimberly Robertson – Palm Beach County, Fla.

Men’s 40-44

1. Sean Ruttkay – Wrightsville Beach, N.C.

Women’s 40-44

1. Sarah Newcomb-Baker – Cape Cod, Mass.

Men’s 45-49

1. Todd Sudol – Monmouth County, N.J.

Women’s 45-49

1. Jennifer Noonan – LA County Surf Life Saving Assoc., Calif.

Men’s 50-54

1. Mike Barrows – Monmouth County, N.J.

Women’s 50-54

1. Angelika Cruz – Hampton Lifeguard Assoc., N.Y.

Men’s 55-59

1. Randall Eickhoff – California State Lifeguard Assoc.

Women’s 55-59

1. Elizabeth Maresca – Jones Beach State Park, N.Y.

Men’s 60-64

1. Matthew Murphy – Virginia Beach Lifesaving Association, Va.

Women’s 60-64

1. Barbara Cronin-Stagnari – Jones Beach State Park, N.Y.

Men’s 65-69

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

Women’s 65-69

1. Jill Friedman – Jones Beach State Park, N.Y.

Men’s 70-74

1. Mike Selna – California State Lifeguard Assoc.

Women’s 70-74

1. Susan Wallis – Jax Beach, Fla.

Men’s 75+

1. William Dorney – Monmouth County, N.J.

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.

Open Men

1.    Brendan Woods, Drew Modrov, Michael McAlpine, Thomas O’Neill – Riis Park, N.Y.
2. Caleb Vaxmonsky, Michael Anderson, Nathan Venables, Scott McIntire – Sussex County, Del.

Open Women

1.    Chase Gadbois, Hallie Lynskey, Kelly McConchie, Tiffany LaCasse – Palm Beach County, Fla.
2. Cindy Fajardo, Elizabeth Fry, Grace Hansen, Megan Perdue – Sussex County, Del.

Coordinated by the USLA and the Virginia Beach Lifeguard Association in conjunction with the City of Virginia Beach, the Jersey Mike’s USLA National Lifeguard Championships conclude Saturday with action beginning at 7 a.m. between 23rd and 26th Streets in Virginia Beach.

Admission to the USLA National Lifeguard Championships in Virginia Beach is free of charge.

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