MARGATE — The Atlantic City Beach Patrol placed in the top three in all three events to capture the team title at the Margate World War II Memorial Lifeguard Races on Aug. 4 at Decatur Avenue.
Scoring 11 points, the ACBP edged out Longport (nine) and Brigantine (eight) for the title despite not winning any event.
The competition includes the traditional doubles row, swim and singles row, and was held under dark skies and a heavy surf. Fifteen patrols from the South Jersey Lifeguard Chiefs Association participated.
The Brigantine Beach Patrol duo of Jack and Joe Savell won the opening event, taking first place and five points in 15:31. It was their first win at the Margate Memorials.
“We had a great turn thanks to Jack and we really hammered it out of the flag and we were able to catch back up,” Joe Savell said. “Longport was ahead the whole time — they were beaching it out; those guys are great — but we were able to get lucky and get on that wave at the end.”
He said the conditions made the race more difficult.
“My forearms were burning; it was really rough out there. We took on a lot of water in the beginning,” Savell said. “I prefer flat but you’ve got to learn to row in whatever.”
Longport’s Mike McGrath and Sean Duffey were second at 15:55, picking up four points.
“We were leading through the flags; they got a good wave and it got them all the way in,” Duffey said. “I’m happy for them; they’ve had a great season.”
The duo won the event the past two seasons, as well as in 2018. Their first win together in Margate was in 2007.
Brigantine Beach Patrol duo of Jack and Joe Savell pose after winning the doubles race.
“We know how to row in this. I don’t think a lot of other people go out in stuff like this and practice,” Duffey said, noting the key is to keep the stroke together.
McGrath agreed the conditions favor them.
“They are ideal for us. We’ve been doing this a long time, so we have the experience,” he said.
The ACBP’s Sean and Rick Blair were third in 16:05 for three points.
Avalon’s Erich Wolf and Jack Glomb were fourth and Margate’s Hayden Smallwood and Bob Bechtel were fifth. Matt and AJ Oves of the Ocean City Beach Patrol were 11th.
The Margate Beach Patrol’s Zach Vasser was first out of the water, high-stepping through the surf and across the finish line in the swim in 13:48. He added five points to the team’s one from the doubles row for six total.
“There is a really big chop out there today but trying to battle the waves was part of the race,” Vasser said. “It made it a lot more difficult but that kind of chop I kind of find fun. It makes it more interesting and a lot more challenge to it.”
The surf was rough for the Margate World War II Memorial Lifeguard Races Friday evening. Taylor Smith going over a wave in the singles row.
The ACBP’s Charles Schreiner was second at 14:02, picking up another four points to give Atlantic City seven.
The OCBP’s Dylan Dewitt was third at 14:37, nearly an entire minute behind the speedy Vasser, to pick up three points.
Dewitt said he has been training in the morning and was happy to have placed third.
“My (strategy) was to go a little to the south to fight the current and have it drift me over to the flag,” Dewitt said.
Connor Gallagher of the Wildwood Beach Patrol was fourth at 15:22 and Jack Christian of the Sea Isle City Beach Patrol was fifth at 15:59.
Longport’s McGrath caught a wave at the right time for the win in the singles row in 5:12, but Sean Blair of the ACBP was right behind him at 5:15 for second place and the team win.
“I got a good start. Just trying to hold the lead. Everyone’s fast, just try to keep going and find another gear on the way in,” McGrath said.
Brigantine’s Jack Savell was third at 5:24 for another three points.
Sea Isle City’s Dan Rogers was fourth at 5:36 and Stone Harbor’s Dennis Bakey was fifth at 5:47.
The South Jersey Lifeguard Championships are set for 6:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 11, at Decatur Avenue. The MCBP won the event last season with a win by Chris Spiers in the singles row and second place by Bechtel and Chuck Gowdy in the doubles row and Vasser in the swim.
By CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Sentinel staff