Local lifeguards displayed their athletic prowess on back-to-back weekends at the beginning of August.
The LA County-Southern team relied on their paddling team to win their third consecutive Judge Irvin Taplin Medley Relay in Hermosa Beach, the featured event in the Southern California Lifeguard Championships. The championships were held in conjunction with the end of summer International Surf Festival.
Swimmers Ryan Bullock, Kelsey Cummings, Hogan Inscore and Kevin Fink battled the LA County-Central Section swimmers before paddlers Shane Gallas, Jack Bark, Pat Jacobson and Brian Murphy gave the Southern squad a lead it would not relinquish.
“The swimmers kept us in it, but the paddlers really opened it up for us,” said dory crew member Mel Solberg, who increased his record number of Taplin championships to 18. “It seems surreal to have won that many titles but it never gets old. To win, it takes a true team effort.”
Solberg and teammate Jeff Lombardo completed the race after dory crews Mike Wurzel/Tyler Morgan, Mike O’Donnell/Jeff Hart and Tom Seth/Dave Cartlidge built an insurmountable lead.
Central placed second ahead of third-place finisher LA County-Northern.
It is customary for members of the winning team to ring the perpetual award — the Taplin Bell — the number of times they have won the championship. The names of the winners will also be etched on a plate that will added to those of past Taplin Bell winners.
While Solberg rang the bell 18 times, he was just as excited to watch teammates who experiencing their inaugural victory.
“I get a kick out of seeing the faces of those who ring the bell for the first time,” Solberg said. “It’s special to see athletes like rookie Jack Bark and veteran Pat Jacobson win it for the first time. The Taplin Bell is the Stanley Cup for lifeguards.”
Swimmer Kelsey Cummings, of El Segundo, became only the second woman to win the Taplin event, which also had a new look this year.
A team from Half Moon Bay, Australia competed as did the all-female team known as the Women’s All-Stars.
The following week, Jenna Solberg stood on the north side of the Hermosa Beach Pier focusing on the surf while grasping her paddleboard under her arm. She knew she had to turn in fast times in the first two of three disciplines to win the Women’s Iron Woman championship at the USLA National Lifeguard Championships.
Strong performances in the board paddle and surf ski provided Solberg the lead she needed going into the swim leg of the competition, where she held off LA County teammate Kelsey Cummings to claim the title.
“I knew I had to get a big lead,” said Solberg, a 21-year-old lifeguard from Torrance. “Kelsey is such an incredible swimmer and I knew she would be my toughest competitor.”
Solberg’s victory highlighted a weekend of competition in which she amassed 116.5 points to win the women’s overall championship. Cummings, 23, of El Segundo finished second with 98.5 points surpassing 2015 women’s champion Carter Graves, of Coronado, who tallied 83.5 points.
“I’ve always looked up to past winners and I’m so excited to join the club,” Solberg said. “This was my fourth year competing and it all came together for me.”
Solberg and Cummings joined fellow LA County lifeguards Tim Burdiak and Kevin Fink on the 18-member USLA National Team that competed at the Lifesaving World Championships Sept. 1-18 in The Netherlands.
Solberg’s performance in Hermosa Beach helped LA County Surf Life Saving Association win its third consecutive USLA National Championship and 30th in the last 31 years.
LA County’s 1,462.125 points secured the Howard Lee Trophy as the team bested California State Lifeguard Assoc. (1,125.625) and Hampton Lifeguard Assoc. (376.500).
“In the back of your mind, there’s always a little pressure to keep the tradition going, but I never worried about us winning again,” Solberg said. “This team has so much depth and diversity. It’s not that we win a lot of events, but we have so many lifeguards that are among the top finishers.”
Solberg also was a member of the first-place women’s Taplin Relay team, placed second in the Surf Race, Board Race and Board Rescue Race events and was on the third-place Rescue Race team.
Kevin Fink, of San Pedro, was LA County’s top male placing second overall with 70.500 points. Thomas O’Neill, of Riis Park (Queens, N.Y.) won the men’s title with 73.750 points while California State’s James Bray finished third with 66.875.
Men’s Open winners included Brian Murphy who captured the Iron Man title and Tim Burdiak won the Surf Ski title along with joining Kevin Fink, Shane Gallas and Patrick Jacobson on the winning Taplin Relay team.
Jack Bark partnered with Australian Nicholas Malcolm to win the Board Race and won the Board Rescue Race with teammates Kevin Fink, Hogan Inscore and Brian Murphy.
Cummings led LA County’s Women’s Open competitors, winning the Surf Race and Run-Swim-Run events. She also joined Sarah Burris, Tiana Pugliese and Danielle Wong to capture the Rescue Race title and was on the first-place Taplin Relay team with Kelsey O’Donnell, Jenna Solberg and Wong.
LA County also had numerous athletes winning age-division titles. Men’s 30-34 winners included Nick Sullivan (Iron Man, 2K Beach Run), Ryan Bullock (Surf Race, Run-Swim-Run) and Brian Murphy (Board Rescue).
Jeff Monroe won the 35-39 division Surf Race and Run-Swim-Run, Tom Swift won the 40-44 Surf Race and Board Rescue while Jose Rene Abasolo won the 40-44 Beach Flags competition.
In the 45-49 division, Chip McDaniel won the Surf Race and Tom Seth was a dual winner, capturing the American Iron Man title and partnering with Michael O’Donnell to win the Surf Boat race.
Mel Solberg won the men’s 50-54 American Iron Man while veterans Eklin Onsgard (65-59) and Ed Heinrich (70+) dominated their age groups.
Onsgard and Heinrich each won the Surf Race, Run-Swim-Run, Board Rescue, Surf Ski, Iron Man, Beach Run and Beach Flags events. Onsgard also won the American Iron Man title and teamed with Randy Steigely to win the Surf Boat competition.
Female age division winners included: Tandis Morgan (35-39, Board Race, Surf Ski, Iron Woman, Beach Flags), Diane Graner Gallas (50-54, Surf Race, Run-Swim-Run) and Ann Finley (50-54, Surf Ski, Beach Run).
For complete results including the Junior Lifeguards and Under-19 competitions, visit usla.org.
