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Rehoboth hosts 44th Lifeguard Olympics

Lifeguard Olympics competitors take off in the one-mile run. DAN COOK PHOTOS
Dan Cook
July 30, 2021

Rehoboth Beach Patrol hosted the 44th annual Lifeguard Olympics July 29. A total of 11 teams from Delaware and Maryland battled it out on the beach at Baltimore Avenue, and when the flying sand settled, the Middlesex team took the victory and bragging rights for the 2021 summer.

Events included the landline rescue race, one-mile run, half-mile paddle, half-mile swim, 4-by-200 soft sand sprint relay, run-swim-run, paddleboard rescue race, iron man medley, beach flags and the six-person tug-of-war.

Ocean City Beach Patrol and Middlesex Beach Patrol tied for the championship, so bragging rights were determined by a game of rock, paper, scissors.

 

Rehoboth Beach Patrol’s Rawley Florax, left, and Xander Geiersbach exit the ocean in the paddleboard rescue race. DAN COOK PHOTOS
Delaware State Parks guard L.B. Harrington hits the beach after the iron man medley relay.
Dewey Beach Patrol’s Hadley Rhue, center, takes off after the tag in the iron man medley.
Delaware State Parks guard Kinley Woodard takes off in the iron man medley.
Middlesex Beach Patrol’s Josh McIntire is cheered on by (l-r) Capt. Justin Voorheis and Hayden Harmon.
Evan Grace of Bethany Beach Patrol wins the one-mile run.
Victims take off in the landline rescue race.
Dewey Beach Patrol’s Liam Zolper pulls in the landline rescue race.
North Shore Beach patrol wins the landline. Shown are (l-r) Augie Carlozzi, Pat Matsko, Laurel Carney and Sean Connor.
Rehoboth Beach Patrol rookie Alicia Lenoir takes off in the run-swim-run relay.
Dewey Beach Patrol rookie Mikey Frederick, right, squeezes out the lead from Delaware State Parks’ Anthony Hitchcock as they sprint to their teammates in the 4-by-200 soft sand relay.
Sea Colony Beach Patrol’s landline competitors regain their composure after taking a spill at the finish. Shown are (l-r) Marlan McElroy, Drew Meininger, Lexie Santor and Garret Karres.
Rescuer Danny Pack, center, takes off for the Dewey Beach Patrol’s landline team.
Delaware State Parks guard Noah Tuohey pulls during the tug-of-war.
Middlesex Beach Patrol member Mitch McGee fights off a wave during the iron man contest. He broke two fingers during the competition.
Delaware State Parks’ Ben Sobota, left, and Dewey Beach Patrol’s C.J. Fritchman sprint the first leg of the 4-by-200 soft sand relay.
Dewey Beach patrol’s winning 4-by-200 soft sand sprint relay team are (l-r) Eid Nouhra, C.J. Fritchman, Mikey Frederick and Reed Tanasovich.
Bethany Beach Patrol’s Brendan Keane, right, takes the victory in beach flags over Delaware State Parks’ Connor Staudmyer.
Thomas Powell, front, and Connor Mull exit the ocean in the paddleboard rescue race.
Dewey Beach Patrol’s Zack Stevenson urges on the DBP tug-of-war team.
RBP’s Richard Szvitich explains a running route.
RBP’s Derek Shockro explains rules of the iron man competition.
Middlesex guard Ryan Bixler shows some emotion after winning a round in the tug-of-war.
RBP cheers on their tug team.
Competitors take the first turn in the run-swim-run relay.
RBP guards (l-r) Dionn Stevenson, Bailey Polecaro and Alicia Lenoir worked the check-in desk before the event.
Working the event for the Rehoboth Beach Patrol are (l-r) Kathryn Paturzo, Anna McDermott, Megan Culbertson, Laura Sarkisian, Madison Mazon and Brooke Baldicci.
Winning the run-swim-run relay are Middlesex guards (l-r) Josh McIntire, Caleb Vaxmonsky, Declan Burke and Brooke Kenyon.
Jake Pangle pulls in the tug-of-war for the RBP.
RBP’s Tori Blankenship takes the first turn in the run-swim-run relay.
Dewey Beach Patrol’s Max Lenz, left, and Ben Sala exit the Atlantic during the paddleboard rescue race.

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Dan has worked for the Cape Gazette for more than 30 years as a photographer and reporter, covering high school sports and happenings around eastern Sussex County. He won a photography award from the National Newspaper Association, and numerous awards from the Maryland, Delaware, D.C. Press Association. A Delaware native, Dan graduated from Cape in 1972 and returned as a teacher and coach in the 1980s. He retired from the classroom in 2016. He was inducted into Cape High’s Legends Stadium in 2016. In his spare time, Dan enjoys spending time with his wife, two sons, grandchildren and dogs. 

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