Some of Delaware’s finest beach lifeguards went toe to toe Wednesday at an annual competition in Rehoboth Beach.
Approximately 300 lifeguards from New York to Virginia participated in the United States Lifesaving Association’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Lifesaving Championships, hosted by the Rehoboth Beach Patrol for the 27th consecutive year.
Several Delaware beach patrols competed, including Rehoboth Beach, Sussex Shores, Delaware State Parks and Fenwick Island.
The competition involved 10 different challenges: 90-meter sprint, 2-kilometer beach run, 4×90 soft-sand beach relay, 400-meter surf swim, swimmer rescue race, landline rescue race, paddleboard rescue race, run-swim-run, surf dash and beach flags.
Those who placed high enough in each competition punched a ticket to the national championships in Virginia Beach, held Aug. 9-12.
Meredith Lockwood, a Rehoboth Beach lifeguard, placed second in the women’s 90-meter dash and said her team put their heart into Wednesday’s activities.
“It’s always a good time,” Lockwood said of the competition. “It’s a long day, but it’s fun to see all the other patrols in our region because we compete here, but all the top competitors come together for the Mid-Atlantic region, and then we go to Nationals together. So it’s a lot of fun.”
Beach patrols will travel to Long Branch, New Jersey, next Wednesday to compete in craft competitions, like surfboat races and surfboard races, and finish regionals.
