Avenging last year’s loss that snapped a 27-year winning streak, the LA County Surf Life Saving team recaptured the Nautica United States Lifesaving Association (USLA) National Championship held Aug. 8 at Daytona Beach, Fla.
Led by Redondo Beach’s Brian Murphy, LA County amassed 1076.625 points to dethrone defending champion Monmouth County, N.J. (903.625) and earn the Howard Lee Trophy.
Volusia County Surf Lifesaving Association, Fla.placed third with 307.750 points in the event that featured professional lifeguards from 55 USLA chapters who competed for individual and team honors in water and beach course events that challenge their lifesaving skills.
Murphy scored 75.750 points as the Men’s Overall Point Leader. He won the Board Race and Ironman evenst, finished first in the Taplin Relay with partners Tim Burdiak, Patrick Jacobson and Kevin Fink and placed second in Board Rescue with Kevin Fink
Carter Graves (Coronado Beach Lifeguards), was the Open women’s points leader, with 90.250 points.
“All of the athletes worked so hard at this event and I am so proud of each and every one of them for their perseverance and stick-to-itiveness,” said LA County team captain Jay Butki. “It is a good feeling, we are pretty happy with the end result and we cannot wait to come back to Daytona in 2017.”
Along with Murphy winning the Men’s Open Board Race, many other LA County representatives captured age division titles in the discipline including Patrick Jacobson (Men’s 30-34), Deirdre Fisher (Women’s 50-54), Mitch Kahn (Men’s 55-59) and Shari Latta (Women’s 55-59).
Ironman/Ironwoman age divisions winners included Jacobson (Men’s 30-34, Tandis Morgan (Women’s 30-34), Jeff Lombardo (Men’s 35-39), Rob Pelkey (Men’s 45-49), Ann Finley (Women’s 50-54), Kahn (Men’s 55-59), Latta (Women’s 55-59) and Dala Dama (Men’s 60-64).
LA County’s Nicholas Sullivan, Michael Murphy, Jeff Lombardo and Kevin Fink finished third in the Men’s Open Rescue Race.
In Surf Race action, Kevin Fink won the Men’s Open title while Jacobson (Men’s 30-34), Lombardo (Men’s 35-39), Chris Linkletter (Women’s 45-49), Fisher (Women’s 50-54), Kahn (Men’s 55-59) and Adama (Men’s 60-64) were age division winners.
In the American Ironman competition, Jeff Hart placed third in the Open Men’s. Winning their age groups were Lombardo (Men’s 35-39), Rob Pelkey (Men’s 45-49), Mel Solberg (Men’s 50-54) and Kahn (Men’s 55-59).
In the 2K Beach Run, LA County’s Kevyn Murphy placed third in the Open Women’s competition while Ann Finley won the Women’s 50-54 age group.
LA County had two third-place finishers in the Board Rescue with Shane Scoggins and Hogan Inscore (Open Men’s) and Colleen O’Donnell (LA City) and Kevyn Murphy (Open Women’s).
Kevyn Murphy also placed third in the 4×100 Run Relay with teammates Danielle Wong, Sarah Burris and Tianna Pugliese.
El Segundo’s Kelsey Cummings (Long Beach Lifeguard Association) won the Run-Swim-Run Open Women’s crown with age division titles going to Chris Linkletter (Women’s 45-49) and Ed Heinrich (Men’s 65-69)
Jenna Solberg, of Torrance, placed second in the Ironwoman Open competition and LA County had third-place finishes in the Men’s and Women’s Open Surf Ski events with Tim Burdiak and Tandis Morgan.
Women took the top two spots in the Taplin Relay with Morgan, Solberg, Cummings and Pugliese edging the team of Carter Graves, Daniele Wong, Maria Bird and Sarah Burns.
