VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - Many Sussex County lifeguards returned to Delaware successful after participating in the United States Lifesaving Association National Lifeguard Championships in Virginia Beach over the weekend. The Sussex County Lifesaving Association, comprised of beach patrols along coastal southern Delaware, placed second in the nation overall.
The event occurs annually for all open water rescue beach patrols in the nation. Groups come together in a different location each year to compete after qualifying in regional championships.
The objectives of the National Lifeguard Championship are to uplift lifeguards, encourage physical fitness, provide opportunities for comradery among and between patrols and to acquaint the general public with water safety procedures and skills used daily by professional lifeguards.
"It's very serious and full of high-level athletic events, especially at the national level," said Dewey Beach Patrol Captain Todd Fritchman.
A unity of beach patrol captains in southern Delaware organize to create the Sussex County Lifesaving Association. They share standards and techniques, forming an overall alliance of professional lifeguards. Sussex County regularly holds ocean series competitions and the lifeguard Olympics among local town patrols, which then go together to the regional competition that was held in Rehoboth Beach this year.
Those who qualify at regionals go on to nationals. The Sussex County team placed second overall out of all open water beach rescue patrols at the national competition over the weekend. The team from Monmouth, N.J., took first.
Competitions include physical tests like running and swimming as well as others more unique to livesaving competitions, like the beach flags event. In beach flags, competitors wait face down in the sand with their feet at the starting line. They're given a start command after which they get up, turn towards a flag that is many meters away, and run towards it. Heats have one more person than the number of flags available and each round gets smaller until there is only one flag available for two competitors.
The following events saw high-placing participants from Sussex County:
- First: Open Women's 2K Beach Run by Brynn Crandell.
- First, third and fourth: Open Women's Beach Flags by Sophia Gulotti, Lainey Shockro and Meredith Lockwood.
- First and second: Open Women's 4x100 Run Relay by Caitlin McMahon, Logan Rohde, Melaney Heald and Nicolette Phillips; Amy Venables, Hailey Moore, Lainey Shockro and Megan Perdue.
- First and fifth: Open Women's 90m Sprint by Sophia Gulotti and Rachel Kline.
- First through fifth: Open Men's 2K Beach Run by Evan Grace, Charlie Blundell, Chase Sims, Declan Burke and Michael Anderson.
- First and second: Open Men's Beach Flags by CJ Fritchman and Konner Knarr.
- First, second and fourth: Open Men's 4x100 Run Relay by Brendan Keane, Dillon McKay, Liam Regan and Simon Pels; Isiah Brittingham, Jodi Johnson, Jorge Lagunes and Konnor Knarr; Alex Calderia, Bastian Perry, Kevin Reese and Robert Beall.
- First: 50-54 Women's Surf Ski Race by Cindy Fajardo.
- First: 60-64 Men's Board Race by David Griffith.
- First: 60-64 Men's Surf Ski Race by David Griffith.
- First: 60-64 Men's American Ironman by David Griffith.
- First: 50-54 Men's Ironman by Jason McKay.
- First: 60-64 Men's Ironman by David Griffith.
- Second: Open Women's Landline Rescue Race by Amy Venables, Brooke Kenyon, Hailey Moore and Suzannah Mills.
- Second: Open Board Relay Women by Alexandra Santer, Elizabeth Fry and Grace Hansen.
- Second: Open Women's Rescue Race by Cindy Fajardo, Elizabeth Fry, Grace Hansen and Megan Perdue.
- Second: Open American IronWomen by Alexandra Santer.
- Second and third: Open Men's Landline Rescue Race by Alexander Moore, Chase Sims, Jake Pangle and Joshua Walker; Augie Carlozzi, Gabriel Poad, Nathan Pittroff and Sean Connor.
- Second and fifth: Open Men's 90m Spring by Konnor Knarr and Brendan Keane.
- Second: 50-54 American Ironwoman by Cindy Fajardo.
- Second: 50-54 Ironwoman by Cindy Fajardo.
- Second: 50-54 Women's Beach Flags by Cindy Fajardo.
- Second: 50-54 Men's Surf Race by Jason McKay.
- Second: 60-64 Men's Surf Race by David Griffith.
- Second: 50-54 Men's Run-Swim-Run by Jason McKay.
- Second: 50-54 Men's Board Race by Jason McKay.
- Second: 55-59 Men's Surf Boat Race by David Griffith.
- Second and fifth: 50-54 Men's 2K Beach Run by Jason McKay and Bryan Bowles..
- Second and fifth: 35-39 Men's Beach Flags by Logan Burke and Benjamin Monti.
- Third: 50-54 Women's Run-Swim-Run by Cindy Fajardo.
- Third: 50-54 Women's Board Race by Cindy Fajardo.
- Third: 50-54 Women's 2K Beach Run by Cindy Fajardo.
- Third and fourth: 35-39 Men's Surf Race by Benjamin Monti and Justin Anderson.
- Third and fifth: 35-39 Men's Run-Swim-Run by Benjamin Monti and Daniel Casey.
- Third: 50-54 Men's Surf Ski Race by Jason McKay.
- Third and fourth: 30-34 Men's 2K Beach Run by Zachary Abeles and Nick Penaranda.
- Third: 40-44 Men's Beach Flags by Aaron Hemphill.
- Third: 45-49 Men's Beach Flags by Todd Roselle.