AVALON — The Atlantic City Beach Patrol swept the surfboat races and took third in the swim to secure victory Aug. 14 during the 2026 South Jersey Lifeguard Championships at 35th Street in Avalon.
The ACBP accumulated 13 points, followed by the Avalon Beach Patrol with 10 and Upper Township Beach Patrol with 8.
Rower Vince Granese attributed the victory to Chief Steve Downey.
“The chief is great. Without him, we wouldn’t be able to do what we do,” he said. “He’s a rower himself; he gets it. He supports us with the time to row, with the equipment. I attribute this win to his drive to build this program with purchasing of equipment and also with promoting rowing within our beach patrol.”
Granese and Nick Guidara started the party with a narrow victory in the doubles row in 13:54, securing 5 points and the tie-breaker in the process.
Guidara said the crew “didn’t have our best start of the season,” noting Granese slipped getting into the boat.
“We recovered and we just kind of cranked all the way down the line. Turned the flag in second. Coming out of the turn we were probably in first, and then it was just us and Upper the whole time,” he said. “We turned the flag, and it was just like, we want to win, we got to go now.”
Guidara said he and Granese trained all summer for the chance to be South Jersey champions, a first for the former.
“We spent so much time in the boat every day that getting in that extra gear, even though it feels like you can’t, you’ve got it,” he said. “So coming in from the flag to the beach was just pain. But you know, it was worth it.”
Guidara said it is vital to win the opening event.
“It sets the tone really well. I mean, now you have other crews that are just chasing down to get points up and get where we are,” he said.
The UTBP duo of Ryan Manning and Chase Brown appeared to have the edge as multiple crews approached the finish line but just missed a wave, allowing the ACBP to slip in ahead.
The UTBP finished second in 14:00, followed closely by Mike Fitzpatrick and Andrew Treffeisen of the Cape May Beach Patrol in 14:06.
The Longport Beach Patrol’s Sean Duffy and Mike McGrath were fourth in 14:07 and the ABP’s Matt O’Connor and Jack Glomb were fifth in 14:08.
Looking to stay on top, Atlantic City swimmer Charles Schreiner hoped to repeat his victory from the Margate Memorials a week prior and secure 5 more points. However, it was Avalon’s Tim Hanway, who won on his home surf in 14:17 and earned the points.
Amid cheers of “Way to be a legend. Way to be a legend,” the 18-year-old recent high school graduate said he was very familiar with the location since he guards that beach every day.
“Feeling awesome right now. Pretty flipping awesome,” Hanway said, noting it was his first win this season and his first South Jersey victory. “I finally won the one that mattered most. For the first win this season being in South Jerseys on my home beach, that’s awesome, I love that.”
He said he has spent the entire summer learning about the 35th Street beach.
“Sitting on this beach all year, I kind of learned where the sandbar was, learned what the currents were like, learned where the waves were breaking, how the water behaved. At the end of the year, it was just kind of like me versus everyone else, and I felt like I had an advantage sitting up here every day with the big three five,” Hanway said.
The UTBP’s Logan Manning finished second in 14:21 and Schreiner was third in 14:26 to put Upper Township and Atlantic City in a tie atop the standings with 8 points.
The Ventnor City Beach Patrol’s Brian Falk was fourth in 15:41 and Stone Harbor Beach Patrol’s Jonah Alvarez fifth in 15:56.
As is usual, the singles row would determine the team winner, and it was a close race that not only was difficult to determine who won but also included a disqualification.
With a slew of surfboats approaching shore, the Brigantine City Beach Patrol’s Joe Savell appeared to secure victory, followed closely by the ACBP’s Granese (6:20).
However, it was determined that Savell did not turn the flag properly, giving the 35-year-old Atlantic City guard the win and 5 points to secure the team title.
Granese said it was all about strength and determination.
“Great night, flat ocean. It’s all about the pull. It’s not about the luck. It’s all about the pull tonight,” he said. “You also have to want to hurt. I don’t care how good a shape you’re in, you’ve got to hurt to win that.”
Avalon’s Ryan Finnegan was second in 6:22, Sea Isle City Beach Patrol’s Patrick Curran was third in 6:23, Stone Harbor’s Joe Tortella fourth in 6:24 and Longport’s McGrath fifth in 6:25.
The victory was the fifth this season for the ACBP: the other wins were the Longport Women’s Lifeguard Invitational on July 7, the Atlantic City Lifeguard Classic on July 27, the Bill Howarth Women’s Invitational on Aug. 5 and the 80th annual Margate World War II Memorial Lifeguard Races on Aug. 7. In addition, the women were just one point behind the winners at the South Jersey Women’s Lifeguard Championship on Aug. 12.
Granese was able to celebrate victory with his father, Vince “Skip” Granese, 73, a former deputy chief with the Atlantic City Fire Department.
“I’m very blessed to have parents that care. My mom’s at every race, too,” he said.
