Sussex County lifeguards grab top spots at USLA Championships

Beachgoers in Sussex County can rest assured they have some of the best lifeguards in the country looking out for them on Delaware beaches.

In pursuit of the Howard Lee Trophy, won by the top overall team at the U.S. Lifesaving Association National Lifeguard Championships, guards from Delaware’s southernmost county racked up 1,116.75 points and secured second place. While the patrols from Monmouth County, N.J., finished first, quite a few individual guards from Sussex County took home top honors. Sussex County secured first place in overall points from the men’s and women’s open divisions to take home the Greg Farry Trophy. The two counties helped ensure the Mid-Atlantic region won the Sheridan Byerly Trophy for most points from a region.

Rehoboth Beach Patrol’s Sophia Gulotti and Dewey Beach Patrol’s CJ Fritchman helped Sussex County claim the title of fastest runners on the beach by sweeping the beach flag competitions. Gulotti, who ran track at Temple University, also won the women’s 90-meter sprint. Sussex County also took all three spots in the men’s open 2K Beach run as Evan Grace finished first, Charlie Blundell second and Chase Sims third. 

RBP’s Konner Knarr, who finished second in the 90-meter beach sprint and just behind Fritchman in the beach flags, took first in the junior guards under-19 boys’ beach flags. He was also part of the RBP second-place team with Isiah Brittingham, Jodi Johnson and Jorge Lagunes in the men’s open beach relay race. Edging them out for first place were Bethany Beach Patrol’s Brendan Keane, Dillon McKay, Liam Regan and Simon Pels.

The BBP women’s team of Caitlin McMahon, Logan Rohde, Melaney Heald and Nicolette Phillips took first place in the women’s open beach relay race, while the Sea Colony Beach Patrol team of Amy Venables, Hailey Moore, Lainey Shockro and Megan Perdue came in second. Shockro also placed third in the women’s open beach flags.

Sussex County’s Jen Cawthern won first in the women’s 45-49 2K beach run, while Jason McKay took first in the men’s 50-54 Ironman, and David Griffith finished first in the men’s 60-64 Ironman and American Ironman. Cawthern also won the women’s 45-40 beach flags race.

In one of the more intense competitions, the landline rescue, RBP’s Alex Moore, Chase Sims, Jake Pangle and Joshua Walker finished second, and North Shores Beach Patrol’s Augie Carlozzi, Gabriel Poad, Nathan Pittroff and Sean Connor grabbed third in the open men’s division. In the women’s event, Amy Venables, Brooke Kenyon, Hailey Moore and Suzannah Mills secured a second-place finish for the Sussex County squad.

Sussex County’s team of Alexandra Santer, Elizabeth Fry and Grace Hansen earned second place in the women’s open board relay. Cindy Farjado nabbed second place in the women’s 50-54 surf ski, and David Griffith took first place in the men’s 60-64 surf ski.

In the junior guards competition, Brynn Crandell won the girls’ 15-18 2K distance run.

More information about USLA competitions can be found at usla.org