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Local lifeguards represent lower Delaware in California

Sussex County guards place fourth overall at USLA Nationals
Nick Priano from Bethany Beach Patrol goes for one of the few beach flags left in finals. Priano went on to finish fourth in the Open Men's Beach Flags event. PHOTOS BY LEXI COON
Lexi Coon
August 18, 2013
Dave Griffith, captain of the Sea Colony Beach Patrol, steadies his surf ski while waiting for the Taplin Relay to begin. Griffith and his teammates, Jordan Lingo, Logan Linden and Cody Quig placed 14th overall.
Captain Kent Buckson of the Rehoboth Beach Patrol, left, and Ruslan Kopunek race to the water for the start of the Landline Rescue race. The team of Buckson, Kopunek, Matthew Keen and Annie Carter placed second overall.
Competitor Devin Lessard runs out of the water during the Surf Swim event. Lessard placed 16th overall.
Jordan Lingo, left, and Andrew Majewski catch a wave during the Board Rescue race. The pair went on to place sixth overall.
Delaware State Parks guard Brian Batson rounds the flag on the last leg of the Run-Swim-Run event. Batson went on to place seventh in the event.
Caleb Marsh jumps into the water during the rescue race. Marsh and his teammates Jordan Lingo, Tom Dorsey and Scott Moore placed sixth overall.
J.T. DiGuglielmo runs the second leg of the men's 4-by-100 relay race. DiGugliemo, Brian Misciwojewaki, Nathan Jones and Ryan Sterrett placed fourth overall.
Gabrielle Buda reaches the finish line of the 2K Race to place fourth overall.
Andrew Majewski, left, and Jordan Lingo celebrate their sixth-place finish in the Board Rescue race.
South Bethany Beach Patrol's landline team (l-r) Caroline Hamilton, Tom Dorsey, Scott Moore and Caleb Marsh commemorate their seventh-place finish.

Lifeguards from across Sussex County traveled out to Manhattan Beach, Calif., Aug. 8-10, to compete in the United States Lifeguard Association Nationals. More than 20 lifeguards from lower Delaware hailed from the Delaware State Parks, Rehoboth Beach, Dewey Beach, Bethany Beach, South Bethany, Sea Colony and Fenwick Island.

While the patrols are used to competing against each other, during nationals they worked together on certain events to represent their county. Out of 27 men's and women's relay and individual events, Sussex County competitors finaled in 18 events and placed in the top 10 for 15, including the Surf Swim, Landline Rescue, the 2K Run, American Ironwoman and the Board Rescue race.

Over three days, Sussex County lifeguards together collected 400.75 points to place fourth overall in a field of 17 total counties in their level. Points were accumulated by placing in the top 16 of events that went through rigorous heats of prelims, semifinals and finals. At the start of next summer, the guards will be looking forward to the the 2014 USLA Nationals to be held in Virginia Beach. To see more results from this year and past years, go to results.usla.org/usla/liveresults.asp.

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