10 beach patrols compete in Cape May County Lifeguard Championship
WILDWOOD CREST — The Avalon Beach Patrol dominated the first half of the Cape May County Lifeguard Championship on Monday evening at the Rambler Road beach.
The Ocean City Beach Patrol scored in most events to contend for the title, but it was the home team, the Wildwood Crest Beach Patrol, that walked away with the 2025 title, a tribute to WCBP Chief Bud Johnson, who is celebrating his 60th year of service to the community.
The WCBP won its third title in six years with 23 points, just edging Avalon, which won the past three years, with 22 points. Ocean City, which lays claim to 18 county titles since 1984, finished third with 19 points.
The rainy weather cleared in time for the 6:15 p.m. start, but the seas were rough for the male and female competitors from the 10 beach patrols in the county.
Avalon lifeguards Gary Nagle and Dave Giulian kicked things off by winning the opening doubles row. Upper Township Beach Patrol guards Jimmy Nilsen and James Garoh were second and North Wildwood Beach Patrol guards Kevin O’Brien and Dante DeFruscio were third.
Jake Klecko and John Steiger put points on the board for the WCBP by finishing fourth and the Wildwood Beach Patrol’s Cainan Noon and Brandon Joyce were fifth.
The scoring is 6 points for first, 4 for second, 3 for third, 2 for fourth and 1 for fifth.
The OCBP’s Jay Stokes and Paul Boardman finished just out of the points in sixth place.
The men’s box course paddle was a dead heat coming to shore between Wildwood’s John Livingstone and Ocean City’s Chase Ritter, but Livingstone had the legs for the long run to the finish on the beach for first place. Eddie Fucci of the Cape May Beach Patrol was third, North Wildwood’s Chase McCray fourth and Sea Isle City Beach Patrol guard Dusty Laricks was fifth.
Ritter said the conditions for the paddleboard race were choppy, “but I like those conditions and it was a great race. I caught a wave coming in and really enjoyed the process. I just had fun with it.”
He said Livingstone got out to a fast start and he gave it his all to catch up to him coming up to shore.
“I was pretty gassed coming off the board onto the sand and man, he was quick; I’ll give him that. He had a great race off the sand to finish.”
Avalon added to its lead in the open box swim when Tim Hanway navigated the course first. Upper Township’s Logan Manning was second, Ocean City’s Jake Texter third, Stone Harbor Beach Patrol’s Jonah Alvarez fourth and Wildwood Crest’s Justin Melli fifth.
Avalon’s Becca Cubbler, a dominant force in women’s lifeguard swim competitions in the past few years, repeated her victory to give the AVP 18 points through the first four events. Ocean City’s Rhylee Cornell was second, Mary Kate Leonard of the Sea Isle City Beach Patrol third, Upper Township’s Ava Smith fourth and Stone Harbor’s Reese Hetzer fifth.
Cubbler said going out was rough because the waves were really big, but she did a little practice before the race began so she knew which direction she had to swim to navigate the best course.
“It was a little hard to see the opposite buoy just because of the swells, but I knew I turned the buoy first, so I just kind of tried to keep my pace and make sure I was going straight-ish,” she added. “And then turning the other buoy, I was praying for one of those huge waves to push me in. I didn’t get one, so coming in was a little worse than I was hoping for.”
Cubbler noted the run to the finish “is super long, but I knew I was in first, so I just kind of made sure I didn’t fall or anything.”
The OCBP’s Brynn Gallagher, who just graduated from Ocean City High School, won the female paddleboard competition. Wildwood Crest’s Maddie Priest and Sea Isle City’s Kylie Fry battled all the way through, with Priest edging Fry for third. Upper Township’s Lindsey Robbins was fourth and Cape May’s Emma DeMario was fifth.
“The conditions were, I would say, on the more challenging side than I’ve seen because in July it’s typically pretty flat, but the waves and the current definitely worked to my advantage because I’m in the water all the time,” Gallagher said. “I was pretty happy with it being a little more rough, but it was fun. The choppy conditions, I dig that.”
Gallagher is headed to the University of North Carolina at Wilmington in the fall. She plans to join the surf team.
The Crest’s Klecko won the singles row. Cape May Point Beach Patrol’s Ben Swan was second and Avalon’s Ryan Finnegan third. Sea Isle’s Nick Matousch was fourth and Upper Township’s Will Schulcter fifth. Ocean City’s AJ Oves was just out of the points, finishing in sixth.
“It was not fun to lose, but it was fun being out there,” Oves said about the swells he and other guards had to navigate. A number of the boats toward the south end of the course looked like they were on a roller coaster. “I definitely got a little unlucky with the swell, but that that’s how it goes. It’s what lifeguard racing is all about.”
The meet wrapped up with the women’s and men’s surf dash.
The Wildwood Crest women — Sofia Jurusz, Emie Frederick, Lauren Sweet and Maddie Priest — defended their title to add another 6 points to their team’s tally.
North Wildwood’s Scarlett Henry, Abigail Melli, Dorothy O’Brien and Briana McFerran were second; Sea Isle’s Kylie Fry, Fiona Keenan, Harley Mack and Ella Shaak were second, Ocean City’s Claudia Booth, Peyton Rautzhan, Grace Cullen and Chase Guidi were fourth, and Avalon’s Gallagher, McDonnell, Bryan and Worton were fifth.
“We have a great group of girls. We work very well together,” Frederick said. “We’ve all been on that team together for a few years now. We just put in the work, gave it all we got, just went as fast as we possibly could.”
She added the conditions were rough for the dash relay, in which the guards run over the sand and into the surf, touch a marker and then race back again. There was a “really strong current ripping north, so it was learning how to angle, get to the correct buoy, come right back in, and make sure you’re on target,” Frederick said.
“It was our first race and three of the girls have never done the surf dash before, so it was honestly so much fun,” Booth said. “I think we’re just excited for all the other races to come. We’re going to see what we can improve on and hopefully just have fun while we’re doing it.” All the OCBP girls agreed their energy was very high.
North Wildwood’s Patrick Rosenello, Seamus McCain, Chase McCray and Hunter Bostwick won the men’s surf dash. Wildwood Crest’s Roman Voinea, Klecko, Mike Reed and Gabe McDevitt secured the team’s title with their second-place finish.
Sea Isle City’s Torney, Pytel, Curcio and Christian were third; Cape May’s Baron, Smith, Nickles and Thomeson were fourth and Wildwood’s Acevedo, Kitchen, Kitchen and Nemeth were fifth.
It’s a busy week for the beach patrols. Among the events scheduled were the Longport Women’s Invitational Race that was set for Tuesday evening followed by the Captain Michael D. McGrath Longport Memorials Friday in Longport.
The Ocean City Beach Patrol’s T. John Carey Masters Swim, a mile ocean race, is 6:15 p.m. Sunday and the Ocean City Women’s Lifeguard Invitational is at 6:15 p.m. Tuesday, July 15.
– STORY and PHOTOS by DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff
