- September 20, 2024
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Lifeguards compete in the beach flag event at the USLA SER Junior Lifeguard Championships. Henry Postel (center) with Martin County takes first place in the boys 14 and 15 division. Photo by Michele Meyers
Martin County's Henry Postel (right) places first in the beach flag event with Volusia County's Mack Jones (left) finishing fourth in the boys 14 and 15 year old division. Photo by Michele Meyers
Volusia County junior lifeguard Auburn Lester (left) grabs her first win of the day in the distance swim in the girls 9, 10 and 11 year old division with Juliet Eby (right) on her heels. Photo by Michele Meyers
Top four girls 9-11 year old division distance swimmers--Volusia County junior lifeguards (left to right) Riley Holt, Juliet Eby, Auburn Lester and sister Aspen Lester. Photo by Michele Meyers
Sisters Aspen (left) and Auburn Lester (right) place fourth and first , respectively, in the 9-11 year old girls distance swim at the junior lifeguard championships. Photo by Michele Meyers
Volusia County's Korbin Purdy places second in the boys 9-11 year old distance swim at the junior lifeguard championships. Photo by Michele Meyers
Distance swimmers charge the ocean during the 2024 junior lifeguard championships in Daytona Beach. Photo by Michele Meyers
Volusia County's Korbin Purdy gets some kudos from his mom after placing second in the boys 9-11 year old distance swim at the junior lifeguard championships. Photo by Michele Meyers
Boca Raton's Maleea Leeds is cheered on as she approaches the finish line in first place in the distance swim. Photo by Michele Meyers
Volusia County's Maya O'Keefe finishes second in the girls' distance swim during the 2024 USLA SER Junior Lifeguard Championships. Photo by Michele Meyers
Fort Lauderdale lifeguard Neave Challenger crosses the finish line third in the distance swim event at the junior lifeguard championships. Photo by Michele Meyers
Fort Lauderdale lifeguard Neave Challenger goes back for her third place stick in the distance swim event. Photo by Michele Meyers
Family and friends cheer for their athletes at the 2024 as they compete in the USLA SER Junior Lifeguard Championships. Photo by Michele Meyers
Volusia County lifeguard Mack Jones (center) leads the distance swimmers into the ocean during the junior lifeguard championships. Photo Michele Meyers
Volusia County lifeguard Alana Harris watches the competitors as she waits for the start of the distance swim. Harris places third in the event. Photo by Michele Meyers
Capt. A.J. Miller (left) shows the competitors the swim course at the junior lifeguard championships. Photo by Michele Meyers
Volusia County lifeguards Hailey Aicher (left), Norah Glatt (center) and Aspen Lester (right) finish the distance run first, second and third respectively. Photo by Michele Meyers
Wyatt Starin (left) and Korbin Purdy (right) battle it out on the beach at the junior lifeguard championships. Photo by Michele Meyers
Under 19, 14 and 15 year old boys take off in the run-swim-run event at the junior lifeguard championships. Photo by Michele Meyers
Lake Worth lifeguard Legend Vasquez finishes the run-swim-run event at the junior lifeguard championships. Photo by Michele Meyers
Jo Wagenhals, USLA SER treasurer, has been a lifeguard for 25 years and always volunteers at the junior lifeguard championships. Photo by Michele Meyers
12 and 13 year old girls compete at the USLA SER Junior Lifeguard Championships. Photo by Michele Meyers
Volusia County's Mack Jones (center) finishes fourth in the distance run at the junior lifeguard championships. Photo by Michele Meyers
Boca Raton lifeguard Jayani Delgado said he plays soccer which helps with his running. He said he came back this year to take first place in the distance run. Photo by Michele Meyers
Boca Raton lifeguard Jayani Delgado poses with his "best Pop-Pop" Raymond Bishof. Photo by Michele Meyers
On your mark. Get set. Go. Lifeguards get ready to start the run-swim-run event at the junior lifeguard championships. Photo by Michele Meyers
Volusia County lifeguard Alexis O'Keefe wins the run-swim-run event in the 14 and 15 year old division at the junior lifeguard championships. Photo by Michele Meyers
Volusia County lifeguard Alexia Manousakis runs to rescue her surf rescue relay partner Hannah Aicher. They place fourth in the event in the 9-11 year old division. Photo by Michele Meyers
Volusia County lifeguards Riley Holt (left) and Norah Glatt (right) win the girls 9-11 year old surf rescue relay. Photo by Michele Meyers
Volusia County lifeguards Riley Holt (left) and Norah Glatt (right) win the girls 9-11 year old surf rescue relay. Photo by Michele Meyers
The United States Lifeguard Association Southeast Region held the 2024 Tommy “Tar Toe” Hogan Memorial Junior Lifeguard Championships on Saturday, July 13 behind the Hard Rock Hotel in Daytona Beach.
The event was hosted by the Volusia County Beach Safety Ocean Rescue with Captain A.J. Miller at the helm. Nine different teams from the southeastern area of Florida and 103 lifeguards competed on the day of the event, including athletes from Atlantic Beach, Boca Raton, Flagler Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Lake Worth, Martin County, Palm Beach County, Pompano Beach and Volusia County.
Junior lifeguards ranging in age from 7 to 18 years old competed in their age groups in multiple events throughout the day — beach flags, distance swim, distance run, run-swim-run, surf rescue relay, swim relay and the paddle board race.
Jo Wagenhals has been a lifeguard for 25 years and is currently the USLA SER treasurer and public education chair. She volunteers for the competition every year.
“This year the USLA approved a “D” division which is for six, seven and eight year olds because we need to get the kids earlier,” she said. “We are losing kids to other sports. We need to get them earlier so they get a taste of surf lifesaving. It’s the only sport centered around saving a life — there’s no giving up.”
Volusia County finished with 20 first place, 21 second place, 14 third place medals and a first- and second-place win in two mixed races with other teams.
Carter Eby led the boys with firsts in the distance swim, the surf rescue relay with fellow competitor Landon Kramer and the swim relay with Landon Kramer and Logan Wingard and a third place in the run-swim-run. He competes in the 14 and 15 year old division.
Wins were distributed throughout many female competitors with Norah Glatt placing in the top three in the 9, 10 and 11 year old division in five events — first in the surf rescue relay with partner Riley Holt, second in both the beach flags and distance run events and third in the run-swim-run and paddle board race. Auburn Lester took home three first place medals in the distance swim, run-swim-run and the swim relay with Ainsley Chard and Juliet Eby and third in the surf rescue relay with Juliet Eby.
Lester, 11, of Palm Coast, has been training with the Flagler Fluid swim team.
“I’m a really, really good swimmer,” Lester said. “My fastest time is 30 seconds in the 50 freestyle. This (junior lifeguard competition) is something special — it means the world to me. I want to become an Olympian.”
Flagler Beach lifeguard Alex Kaiser had five top three finishes in the boys 12 and 13 year old division placing third in four events — the beach flags, distance run, run-swim-run, and the surf rescue relay with Pompano Beach athlete Elvis Plouffe. He finished first in the swim relay with Plouffe and Lake Worth competitor Aiden Melchor.
“With over 100 athletes in attendance from around the state, it is inspiring to see the next generation of protectors of Florida’s coastline showcase their skills and enthusiasm for the sport of surf lifesaving,” Miller said.
