Updated: Hermosa Junior Lifeguards Place High in Relays

Updated (Sunday, 11:13 p.m.): Results have been released from the Junior Lifeguard Taplin Relay in Hermosa Beach on Saturday night.

Girls Junior Lifeguard Taplin Relay

1. Venice A (Run: Lisa Sheldon; Swim: Kara Makuta; Paddle: Courteney Espin)
2. Manhattan A (Run: Katie Kidden; Swim: Maciele O; Paddle: Christi Lane)
3. Will Rogers A (Run: Tori Saibner; Swim: Natalie Silka; Paddle: Mara Silka
4. Hermosa A
5. El Segundo
6. Hermosa TK
7. Hermosa B
8. Redondo
9. Manhattan B
10. Torrance A
11. Hermosa C
12. Santa Monica B
13. Venice B
14. Santa Monica
15. Torrance C
16. Will Rogers B
17. Torrance D
18. Cabrillo
19. Torrance B

All Stars Junior Lifeguard Taplin Relay

1. Will Rogers A (Run: Tyler Steil; Swim: Tristain Marsh; Paddle: Aidan Gray)
2. Torrance A (Run: Charlie Pogue; Swim: Matthew Fink; Paddle: Patrick Fink)
3. Venice A (Run: Max Morrison; Swim: Bengi Garcia; Paddle: Toby Contarsy)
4. Manhattan A
5. Redondo
6. Manhattan B
7. Hermosa A
8. Hermosa B
9. Cabrillo A
10. Torrance B
11. El Segundo A
12. Will Rogers B
13. Santa Monica A
14. El Segundo B
15. Torrance C
16. Hermosa C
17. Cabrillo B
18. Santa Monica B
19. Hermosa TK

Lifeguard Beach Flags

1. Cheyne Renner, Pt. Magu
2. Michael Gioleta, LACO Northern
3. Shane Scoggins, Cal State Parks, San Diego
4. Pono Barnes, LACO 
5. Jordan Stevens, LACO, Northern
6. Nathan Hadar, Cal State Parks, Northern
7. Will Didinger, LACO, Southern
8. Chris Maloney, LACO, Southern
9. Eric Pronovost, LACO, Southern

Women’s 4-Lifeguard Mini Taplin Relay

1. LACO A (Run: Kevin Murphy Swim: Taylor Spivey Paddle: Alison Riddle Ski: Renee Locarnini)
2. LACO B (Run: Julia Caldar Swim: Kailey Makuta Paddle: Kelsey O’Donnell Ski: Tandis Morgan)

Judge Taplin Medley Relay

1. LACO Central A—(Swimmers: Chad Carvin, Juan Delgadillo, Sean Lemm, Kicker Vencill; Paddlers: Brian Murphy, Derek Linsley, Tom Seth, Shota Guterres; Dory Crews: Philip Loy and James Parish, Andrew Czer and Jon Van Duinwyk, Danny Douglas and Rob Pelkey, Dan Bender and Dave Cartlidge)
2. LACO Southern A—(Swimmers: Mikah Carlson, Pat Jacobson, Jeff Lombardo, Jeff Hart; Paddlers: Tyler Morgan, Andrew Herzik, Shane Gallas, Mike Murphy; Dory Crews: Pat Volosin and Mike Wurzel, Ben Gottlieb and Marshal Abramczyk, Mitch Kahn and Mel Solberg, Chris Murphy and Mike O’Donnell)
3. Half Moon Bay, Australia—(Swimmers: Hayden Tierney, Robert Butcher, Jess Walker, Brian Lim; Paddlers: Trent Goulding, Russ Goulding, Hayden Ryberg, Tristan Halls; Dory Crews: Cliff Goulding and David Morris, Josh Stattery and James MacCarthy, Hamish McMillan and Nick Grainger, Kyle Goulding and Russell Fox)
4. LACO Northern
5. Pt.Magu/CalStateParks, North
6. CalStateParks, South
7. San Clemente City
8. LACO Central B
9. Long Beach
10. LA City – DNF
11. LACO Southern B - DNF

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Hundreds of aspiring lifeguards took to the sand between Towers 50 and 51 at Dockweiler Beach in Playa del Rey on Friday to represent their respective programs in the annual Taplin Relays, the premiere Junior Lifeguard competition of the summer.

The "sea of colors" consisted of teams from 12 Southland beaches—including Hermosa Beach—facing off for the coveted "Taplin Bell" in four age divisions (C, B, A girls and A). Each "team" consisted of 18 guards: six runners, six paddlers and six swimmers.

The participating programs were Hermosa Beach, Tim Kelly (South Hermosa), Manhattan Beach, Redondo, Zuma (Malibu), Santa Monica, Will Rogers (Pacific Palisades), Venice, El Segundo, Torrance, Cabrillo (San Pedro) and Avalon (Catalina).

Several beaches, including Manhattan, Redondo, Hermosa, Will Rogers and El Segundo, had three or more teams competing in each division, while Santa Monica, Zuma, Cabrillo and Avalon brought only one.

The competition began with the "C's" (ages 9-11) at 9 a.m., followed by the "B's" (ages 12-13) at 10 a.m., the Girls "A's" (consisting of only two runners, two paddlers and two swimmers) at 11 a.m. The co-ed "A's" (ages 16-17) competition was held last, a little before noon.

Hermosa won the co-ed "A" division, placed second in the "C" division, and ninth in the "B" division.

The competition began with the runners, who sprinted across the sand, around a cone and back again before handing the baton to a teammate.

The last runner ran to the edge of the water and tagged the first paddler, who proceeded into the ocean on his/her surfboard, paddled around three designated buoys, and body-boarded back to shore to hand off to the next paddler. 

The last phase of the race was the swimmers, who ran parallel to the water, around a flag and dove into the water for a swim around the buoys and back to the beach.  

Each team was given a "color" designation and a banner. The team that got all of its swimmers through the finishing chute on the beach first was declared the winner.

Participants formed "Tunnels of Love" at the end of each race to cheer on the last finisher on the last team in a unified display of sportsmanship.

The six-member "Junior" Taplin Relay for the "A" and "AA" (ages 16-17) levels is Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Hermosa Beach Pier, just before the start of the Lifeguard Taplin Relay.

2011 TAPLIN RELAY RESULTS

(Top 10 teams in each relay)

C Division 

1. Torrance A
2. Hermosa A
3. Will Rogers A
4. El Segundo A
5. Manhattan Beach A
6. Manhattan Beach B
7. Tim Kelly A
8. Santa Monica
9. Zuma
10. Venice

B Division

1. Will Rogers A
2. Redondo A
3. El Segundo A
4. Torrance A
5. Manhattan Beach A
6. Venice A
7. Manhattan Beach B
8. Zuma
9. Hermosa A
10. Tim Kelly A

Girls A Relay

1. Manhattan Beach 
2. Tim Kelly
3. Redondo
4. Zuma
5. Will Rogers 
6. Venice
7. El Segundo
8. Torrance A
9. Torrance B
10. Cabrillo

A Division

1. Hermosa A
2. Manhattan Beach A
3. Venice A
4. Will Rogers A
5. Zuma
6. Redondo
7. Hermosa B
8. Manhattan Beach B
9. Santa Monica
10. El Segundo