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Rehoboth hosts USLA Mid-Atlantic Regional Championship

Local patrols compete against teams from New York to Virginia
The body rescue event was won by the Delaware Seashore State Park Beach Patrol. Victim Duncan Proxmire is carried to shore by Noah Touey, front, and Sean Carson. AARON MUSHRUSH PHOTOS
Aaron R. Mushrush
July 12, 2023

While some of Rehoboth Beach was closed July 12, there was no need to fear swimming on the parts that were open surrounding the closed portion. That’s because there were hundreds of lifeguards within the closed portion running, swimming, and jumping around.

The 2023 USLA Mid-Atlantic Regional Championship was held July 12 in front of the Rehoboth Beach Patrol Headquarters on Baltimore Avenue. Teams from as far north as New York and as far south as Virginia ascended on the nation’s summer capital to compete against one another in a series of competitions aimed at exhibiting the life-saving skills of the guards.

The host was joined by the likes Dewey Beach, Delaware Seashore State Park, North Shores, Sussex Shores, Sea Colony, Bethany Beach, North Bethany, and Middlesex beach patrols in representing The First State.

Rehoboth Beach Patrol did very well in the running events, placing highly in both the men's and women’s divisions for the 90-meter sprint, 2-kilometer beach run, beach relays, and flag races. Standouts included Meredith Lockwood, Sophia Gulotti, Jodi Johnson and Konner Knarr.

Delaware Seashore Beach Patrol showcased their acumen in the water as Josh Mcintire took second in the men’s swimming event and the board rescue team that Coleman Woodard joined Mcintire in. DSBP also managed to do really well in the body rescue as the team of Sean Carson, Noah Tuey, Duncan Prozmire, and Ethan McInotsh stuck together during a difficult event.

As exciting as the flag races were, they are the musical chairs of sprinting, the landline rescue offered some intense action. Working in teams of four and simulating something similar to a riptide a guard swims out to be a victim. The rescuing guard must take a water swim buoy connected to a line out to the victim. Once attached two rescuers on the beach must pull the line in through a series of sprints in rapid succession. While it may look innocent on the surface, land rescuers must be strong, fast, and possess a tremendous amount of stamina. Essentially they are sprinting 10 yards every few seconds with a weighted line they must pull in over their shoulders.

The results of the competition will be in a separate post when they are received. More information about the competition can be found at rehobothbeachpatrol.com

Beach patrols from the Cape Region competed against teams from as far north as New York and as far south as Virginia during the 2023 USLA Mid-Atlantic Regional Championships.
Rehoboth Beach Patrol’s Meredith Lockwood did very well in the running events.
Lifeguards from across the Mid-Atlantic compete against one another in swimming, running, strength and endurance competitions.
Sea Colony Beach Patrol’s Lexi Santer emerges from the water to place in a women’s swimming event.
As they do when duty calls, these lifeguards show no hesitation when plunging into the Atlantic Ocean waves.
Rehoboth Beach Patrol’s Sophia Gulotti gives her all trying to catch up to speedster Caitlin McMahon from Bethany Beach Patrol.
Isaiah Brittingham explodes off the line in the men's relays.
Rehoboth Beach Patrol’s Santiago “Santi” Ludwig is the 2023 Rehoboth Beach Patrol Rookie of the Year. He waits to swim out and rescue Matt Johnston, another standout RBP rookie.
Two rescuers stand on shore as the victim is pulled in by the rescue swimmer in the body rescue event. Jake Pangle, front, and Demetrius Stevenson secure the handoff from rescue swimmer Santiago Ludwig to bring victim Matt Johnston ashore.
Half of the first-place Delaware Seashore State Park team paddles in during the board rescue event. Coleman Woodard and Josh Mcintire paddle up to the beach in unison to win first place.
North Shores Beach Patrol’s Nate Pittroff pulls in his teammates during the landline rescue. Strength and explosiveness are key in this event.
During the men's beach flags race, Dewey Beach Patrol’s Steve Hagen grabs a flag while Delaware Seashore State Park’s Nick “Panda” Peneranda, left, narrowly edges out Ocean City Beach Patrol’s Alex Hufnagel.
Rehoboth Beach Patrol’s Sophia Gulotti’s background as a Division I runner for Temple University may have helped her to do well in the running events. She claimed first place in the Women’s 90 M sprint.
Bethany Beach Patrol has some fast women in their ranks. Four of the five members of the team qualified for the flag race semi-finals and it was hard to miss, or not to miss, just how fast former Division 1 laxer Caitlin McMahon is. Finishing 5th in the women’s 90 M sprint, she helped secure first place during the beach relays.
The 2-kilometer beach run may appear to be a casual stroll, but if runners arent apparently going at least 90%, they will not be able to keep up with those who finish at the top.
The open division 2-kilometer beach run may have been run by an older group, but in order to finish at the top the competitors needed to maintain a faster pace than a jog.
Bethany Beach Patrol’s Patrick Berm took second in the open division of the 2-kilometer beach run
Taking first in the body rescue competition was a hybrid team of southern Delaware Beach Patrols. Sea Colony’s Lexi Santer, not pictured, rescued Middlesex’s Brooke Kenyon who was then carried on the back of North Bethany’s Liz Perry with Emily Trout supporting Kenyon’s legs.

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