Gwinnett Lifeguards Win State Competition for Fifth Year

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA — For the fifth year in a row, Gwinnett County Parks and Recreation won first place at the annual Georgia Recreation and Park Association State Lifeguarding Competition.

The competition was held at Lake Oconee, in Greene County, on July 18.

The Gwinnett County team was comprised of lifeguards from several different aquatics facilities throughout the county and members were selected based on outstanding lifeguarding, CPR and first aid, teamwork and athletic skills.

The guards practiced throughout the summer, with quizzes, skill-practice sessions, conditioning and the studying of written materials.

The team consisted of:

• Jordan Rubin, pool manager at Rhodes Jordan Park Pool in Lawrenceville
• Holly Smith, pool manager at Dacula Park Pool
• Daniel Lammons, Collins Hill Park Aquatic Center
• Reagan Balog, Collins Hill Park Aquatic Center
• Brad Miller, Collins Hill Park Aquatic Center
• Phillip Jenny, Collins Hill Park Aquatic Center

The competition included several events evaluating teamwork, athletic ability and lifeguarding knowledge.

The Gwinnett County team took first-place in the written exam, CPR, triathlon and rescue events and second in the swim relay and rescue paddle board event.

The team was coached by Arthur Bedard from Mountain Park Aquatic Center.

"Winning five years in a row is a tribute to our aquatics training program," said Gwinnett County aquatics coordinator Christine Greenfield. "We are extremely proud of the lifeguard team for their victory at state. Our lifeguard team takes great pride in their training and skill execution and they were excited to use it in a competition setting."