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Friday, March 29, 2024

WBOR places third in nationals

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For the second consecutive year, Wrightsville Beach Ocean Rescue placed third in the small beach category of the United States Lifesaving Association’s National Lifeguard Championships last weekend.

WBOR earned its spot in the Aug. 6–8 national championships in Daytona Beach, Fla., by winning regionals July 15–16 at Carolina Beach.

The squad, which qualifies for the small beach category with fewer than 99 employees, sent 15 competitors, nearly one-half of them rookies, to take on the top lifeguard agencies in the country in individual and relay events designed to test lifesaving skills.

Hunter Hay, one of the team’s more experienced members, said a number of the guards who helped propel the 2014 squad to a third-place finish were not able to travel to this year’s national tournament .

“We knew this was somewhat of a rebuilding year for us … we weren’t sure we were going to be able to [place third again]  just based on losing some key people,” Hay said. “So to have some of our new guys come through and score points where they did was really huge.”

While the team’s 2014 performance was buoyed by its success in team relays, this year it was individual performances that carried the team. Hay collected multiple top results in his 30–34 age group: a first place in the surf-ski event — a paddle race on a rescue board — and a second place in the American Ironperson.

Lindsey Gerkens, another seasoned competitor, also placed second in the beach flags event. The competitors lie prone on the soft beach sand, facing away from a line of flags placed in the sand about 20 yards away. On the official’s whistle, the guards leap to their feet, turn around and sprint to grab a flag.

“There’s always one fewer flag than there are people, so it’s an elimination event,” Gerkens explained. “It tests your ability to quickly spot a victim in the water and get them quickly as well.”

The guards competing in their first national competition also fared well. Catherine Gargula and Thalia Harrison teamed up with Gerkens and Kathryn Yarbrough to earn ninth place in the taplin relay, which combines swimming, paddling a board, paddling a surf ski and running.

On the men’s side, Will Swiss and Zack Nifong also earned results in their first national competition. Swiss placed 11th in the run-swim-run race and Nifong placed fifth in the 2K beach run.

“I think they were a little nervous, but … a lot of those guys are collegiate swimmers so they’ve been in big races before,” Hay said. “We did a lot of training throughout the lifeguard season to try to have them prepared for their races.”

Twice a week, the competition team met after finishing lifeguard duty at 5 p.m. to practice events they would enter at regionals and nationals. In addition to physical preparation, the team held events throughout the summer, like barbecue dinners and a junior lifeguard program, to raise the nearly $10,000 necessary to fund their travel expenses.

After months of hard work, the third-place trophy both recognizes the team’s elite performance, and measures the agency’s more intangible qualities like camaraderie and lifesaving ability.

“We feel like a family,” Gerkens said. “You’ve got to be able to trust the next guy down the beach to back you up in life and death situations. … Competing side by side definitely strengthens those bonds.”

“I think that gets lost sometimes in the competition side of it,” she continued. “A lot of the events directly mimic rescue scenarios … so doing well in competition is an indication that Wrightsville Beach is pretty good at its job. … We’re going to get you out of the water pretty quickly if you need help.”

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