Open Water Beckons TSM Swimmers
Open Water Beckons Team Santa Monica Swimmers
Team Santa Monica (TSM) swimmers took to the open water this summer, successfully representing Los Angeles County in Junior Lifeguard regional and national championships. Thirteen TSM swimmers won spots on the Los Angeles County Junior Lifeguard All-Star Team, qualifying them to compete at the California Surf Lifesaving Association junior regional competition in San Diego on July 23 and the United States Lifeguard Association junior national competition in Huntington Beach on August 5.
The competitions included individual races in swimming, paddle boarding and running, as well as relays. Some activities combine to form one event. The run/swim/run consists of a 200 meter run, a 240 meter swim and another 200 meter run. The iron guard competition begins with a 240 meter swim, moves to a 200 meter run, then finishes with a 600 meter paddle. A rescue race has two participants. A "victim" swims out to a designated area. The "rescuer" must swim out and rescue the "victim" who holds onto a buoy. The first team to reach the finish line wins.
Several TSM swimmers placed in the top three in their age groups at the regional event. In the AA age group (16-17), Mara Silka was part of both the winning swim relay and the paddle relay. Silka placed second in the distance paddle. Bengi Garcia and Andrew Hacker were on the second place swim relay. Garcia finished third in the run/swim/run and Hacker took third in the rescue race.
In the A age group (14-15), Tristan Marsh won the rescue race. Meriel Mitsakos won the run/swim/run and was a member of the winning swim relay team. She placed second in the distance swim.
Brendan Casey won the distance swim for the B age group (12-13), and took second in the run/swim/run and swim relay, which also included Mardell Ramirez and Sebastian Garcia. Ramirez finished first in the run/swim/run and distance swim; Garcia took third in the run/swim/run. Isabella Siering placed second in the distance run for the C age group (9-11). She was third in the run/swim/run and the paddle relay.
Other members of the All-Star Team included Nick DeVito, Neil Farnham, Hunter Loncar, Serafina King, and Gillian Caverly.
The team returned for a strong showing at nationals. Top three finishes included: Silka, first in the iron guard and paddle and third in the run/swim/run; Bengi Garcia on the first place swim relay team; Marsh, first in the rescue race and second in the iron guard, distance swim and swim relay; Mitsakos, on the first place swim relay team, and second in the distance swim; Devito, on the second place swim relay team; Casey, first in the run/swim/run, distance swim, and swim relay; Sebastian Garcia, third in the iron guard and rescue race; King, second in the swim relay; Azul Ramirez, first in the run/swim/run and distance swim and second in the swim relay; Siering, first in the iron guard and third in the run/swim/run and distance swim. Other competitors included Anya Pertel, Tess King, Tiana Marsh, and Zane Grenoble.
Casey, Mitsakos and Grenoble participated in the Seal Beach Rough Water Swim on July 11th. Casey placed first in his age group in the three mile swim; Mitsakos won the 1,200 yard age group swim. TSM swimmers are looking ahead to the La Jolla Rough Water swim on September 12, where several will compete.
The California Surf Lifesaving Association and United States Lifeguard Association are nonprofit organizations chartered to promote beach safety awareness and professional open-water lifesaving standards.
Photo by Denise Marsh. Caption: TSM swimmers who made the Los Angeles County Junior Lifeguard All-Star Team: (from left) Tristan Marsh, Bengi Garcia, Sebastian Garcia, Gillian Caverly, Serafina King, Meriel Mitsakos, Isabella Siering, Hunter Loncar, Nick DeVito, Mardell Ramirez and Brendan Casey.
