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South Jersey Lifeguard races set to return this summer - Press of Atlantic City

South Jersey Lifeguard races set to return this summer - Press of Atlantic City

South Jersey Lifeguard races set to return this summer - Press of Atlantic City

Posted: 09 Jun 2021 01:00 PM PDT

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Summer lifeguard racing, shut down last year due to COVID-19 restrictions, is set for a big comeback.

Large crowds will once again gather at South Jersey beaches to cheer on their local beach patrols.

The races are a staple of summer in the region. People spend all day at the beach, then watch the races.

The South Jersey Lifeguard Chiefs Association, representing 15 beach patrols from Brigantine to Cape May Point, is preparing a full schedule of races from early July through late August. Long Beach Island's six patrols will also have races.

"It looks like we're having all the races again," said Sandy Bosacco, president of the Chiefs Association and Stone Harbor's Beach Patrol captain. "Everything's normal, like any other year."

Lifeguard races are great to watch, because the spectators are on the beach and are right near the competitors. The fans see the finishes up close.

Besides offering lifeguards a competitive outlet, the races also get the guards ready for their day job of rescuing.

"The competition encourages everyone to do additional training, and it makes you more effective in lifesaving," Bosacco said. "You're more fit, and you sharpen your skills. Guards train before and after work, and rescuing becomes second nature."

Two-time South Jersey lifeguard swimming champion Joey Tepper, of the Longport Beach Patrol, plans to return to the patrol soon and will again compete.

"I'm definitely looking forward to (the races)," said Tepper, an Egg Harbor Township resident who will turn 19 on Friday. "It brings a lot of people out to watch."

Tepper swam mostly the 1,000- and 500-yard freestyle and the 400 individual medley this winter in his first season for the University of Tennessee.

Tepper trains just as hard for the beach races.

"In the summer, I train in the pool before work," Tepper said. "There are two training sessions at work, one from 10 to 11:30 (a.m.) and another from 4:30 to 6 (p.m.). I do one of them."

Tepper won the swim as Longport won its fourth straight South Jersey Championships team title Aug. 9, 2019.

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The South Jersey Championships, considered the area's top lifeguard event, is tentatively scheduled for Aug. 13 in Longport. The winning team always hosts the event the following year, and it wasn't held last summer. The event, which began in 1924 and was not always held in its early years, will be in its 81st year.

"There's a lot of tradition in the races," Bosacco said. "I'm pretty sure the South Jerseys is the oldest lifeguard race in the country, and that's pretty interesting."

The Chiefs Association's first event will be the Captain Michael D. McGrath Longport Memorials, which is tentatively scheduled for July 2. There will also be four all-female events, three in July and one in August.

Wildwood Crest Beach Patrol Chief Bud Johnson is in his 56th year as a lifeguard, and he's glad to see things returning to normal.

"All the races are on, and ours (Wildwood Crest hosts the Cape May County Lifeguard Championships) is set for the 9th of July," Johnson said. "We're back to having two guards on the stands. We had one guard on each stand last year, and all we did was guard the beach. All the guards look in good shape. We had a packed beach Friday and Saturday, and the town is crowded. We're having our junior lifeguard program again. We didn't last year. We'll also have our Lifeguard Ball and our Alumni Weekend. We're back doing like it's 2019."

Oarsman Terry McGovern, 47, is one of the Crest's top athletes. In one of the few beach patrol events held last summer, he combined with Crest guard Darrick Kobierowski to win the 49th annual Bud Tarbotton North Wildwood Beach Patrol Around the Island Row. It was the fifth time in seven years that McGovern and Kobierowski won the race, which is a 20-mile race around Wildwood.

The row, held in the morning, attracts only about 100 fans and family members each year. It fit the protocol in place last August, though it wasn't easy. Some fans wore masks, and the indoor post-race luncheon was canceled.

McGovern is looking forward to more racing this summer.

"I think it's great for all the patrols to get back to racing," McGovern said. "It's part of the history of lifeguarding, and it showcases what we do. Our racing lets the public see the skills used in lifeguarding, and it reinforces their faith in the guys and girls to keep them safe. A person watching will think, 'Wow, if my child was out there, they'd be able to get to him quickly.'"

The Long Beach Island Lifeguard Tournament is the LBI Beach Patrol's top event. The Harvey Cedars Beach Patrol has won the tournament from 2015 to 2019 (it wasn't held in 2020).

Harvey Cedars Beach Patrol Chief Randy Townsend also knows that beach racing is a lot more than just a sport.

"The structure and education around the racing is what makes it important," Townsend said. "We instruct young people on ocean safety. You have to be aware of everything that's around you. We promote safety and want the public to be well-informed about it."

Townsend said the island's races are on this summer, and the 59th annual LBI Tournament will probably be in late July.

"We have pretty much all our competitors back, and we have some new people who will be an extraordinary asset to our team," he said. "We're excited for this year. We're looking to have way more fun than last year."

Contact Guy Gargan: 609-272-7210

GGargan@pressofac.com

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Move Over Or Slow Down, Quad Cities! - B100

Posted: 10 Jun 2021 11:09 AM PDT

Alright Quad Cities, let's have a chat. Lately, I've been seeing a lot of people not moving over for vehicles on the side of the road, emergency and non-emergency. I've also seen a lot of people continuing to drive and not pull over for police, ambulances and fire trucks with their lights on. It's time to follow the law and show respect before someone gets hurt.

It's summer time in the Quad Cities and a lot of people are back on the road. While I know we are all in a hurry to get where we are going, it's important to remember that slowing down and/or moving over for emergency, stalled, or other official vehicles.

Both Iowa and Illinois have strict laws when it comes to not slowing down and/or moving over. If you're caught not moving over or slowing down, or you not doing so results in an accident or injury, you could be facing a pretty big penalty.

Let's start with Iowa. According to the Iowa Department of Transportation, Iowa law states and requires motorists to:

  1. Change lanes or slow down, absent any other direction from a peace officer, when approaching the following vehicles, (Iowa Code section 321.323A):
    • A stationary emergency vehicle that has its flashing lights activated.
    • A stationary tow, recovery, maintenance, construction, solid waste or recycling collection vehicle that has its flashing lights activated.
    • Any stationary motor vehicle, including a passenger vehicle, that is continually displaying its emergency signal lamps (i.e., standard hazard lights).
  2. Yield the right of way to an emergency vehicle displaying flashing lights or giving an audible signal by moving over to the right, stopping and waiting until the vehicle has passed before proceeding. (Iowa Code section 321.324).

The Iowa DOT says that these laws are designed to protect motorists, including motorists stranded by the side of the road, persons being transported in emergency vehicles, and personnel at high risk while performing their duties on Iowa's roadways.

What's the fines you could face in Iowa for not moving over? Not moving over could cost you $100 plus any surcharge and court costs.

If you not moving over causes a crash that causes damage to property of another person or bodily injury to or death of another person, the Iowa Department of Transportation will suspend your driver's license/operating privileges, upon 30 days' notice and without preliminary hearing. Depending on how much damage or harm you cause could get your license suspended for awhile. These are the suspension times according to the Iowa DOT:

  • For a violation causing damage to the property of another person, but not resulting in bodily injury or death of to another person: 90 days.
  • For a violation causing bodily injury to another person: 180 days.
  • For a violation causing death: one year.

Additionally, a person convicted of a violation that resulted in a crash causing bodily injury to or the death of another person may be subject to an additional fine. The additional fine is $500 for a violation causing bodily injury to another person and $1,000 for a violation causing death.

Onto the Illinois side. In 2019, Governor J.B Pritzker raised the fine for those who violate Scott's Law, also known as the "Move Over Law." A person who violates Scott's Law, commits a business offense and faces a fine of no less than $250 or more than $10,000 for a first offense. Yikes!

Scott's Law, 625 ILCS 5/11- 907(c), mandates that upon approaching a stationary authorized emergency vehicle, when the authorized emergency vehicle is giving a signal by displaying alternately flashing lights, you shall:

  • Change lanes if possible
  • Always reduce speed, but reduce greatly if unable to change lanes
  • Proceed with increased caution
  • Move over and slow down

If you are driving under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or any other intoxicating substance at the time of the violation, you could be subject to the following suspensions:

  • 90 days to 1 year if the violation results in damage to the property of another person
  • 180 days to 2 years if the violation results in injury to another person
  • 2 years if the violation results in the death of another person

If you are caught violating Scott's Law more than once, you could see a minimum fine of $750 or up to $10,000.

Move over and slow down, people! It's the law!

10 Dumb Laws In Iowa

Laws are made for a reason. Some laws are just ridiculous or just outdated. These are 10 laws that are still on the books in Iowa that are just plain dumb.

12 Dumb Illinois Laws

LOOK: 50 images of winning moments from sports history

Sometimes images are the best way to honor the figures we've lost. When tragedy swiftly reminds us that sports are far from the most consequential thing in life, we can still look back on an athlete's winning moment that felt larger than life, remaining grateful for their sacrifice on the court and bringing joy to millions.

Read on to explore the full collection of 50 images Stacker compiled showcasing various iconic winning moments in sports history. Covering achievements from a multitude of sports, these images represent stunning personal achievements, team championships, and athletic perseverance.

Cook hits for cycle, freshman Hoey delivers, Auburn softball creams Cortland - The Citizen

Posted: 03 Jun 2021 03:45 AM PDT

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AUBURN — The game was out of reach for Auburn's opponent, Cortland, but a timeout and a breather was needed. 

With freshman pitcher Grace Hoey in the circle and the bases loaded, Maroons coach Kelley Horbal approached the mound to chat with her defense. 

Horbal wasn't necessarily concerned with the score — Auburn was ahead by double-digits — but that her players were prepared both mentally and physically. 

Auburn escaped that inning with minimal damage, a seemingly inconsequential moment in a 19-3 win over Cortland Wednesday at Herman Avenue Elementary. But Horbal didn't see that sequence as inconsequential, not with a team trying to play its best with sectionals on the horizon. 

"I just wanted to calm down the girls and make sure no one was rattled, not that we were stressed with the score. I don't worry about the score, I worry about making the right play at the right time," Horbal said. "All I said was that no matter what happened on the next pitch, let's make sure we play solid defense and get out of the inning.

"It was just a way to get the girls to refocus. We were able to take care of business."

Auburn has been taking care of business all season. The Maroons have now won four in a row and 11 out of 14 games. 

The offense came within a run of its third 20-run outing of the season. The game was called with one out in the bottom of the fifth and Auburn at the plate. 

RBI hit for JoLin Evans on June 2, 2021.

Leading Auburn's prolific offense was third baseman Morgan Cook, who hit for the cycle — she hit a two-run homer in her first at-bat in the opening frame, doubled in the second, and singled in the third. 

Needing a three-bagger to complete the cycle, Cook mashed a two-run triple in the fifth. That was the final at-bat of the game before the teams called it quits. 

Supporting Cook's six-RBI performance was catcher Sydney Marinelli, who scored five runs from the lead-off position. Marinelli had four hits, all singles. Coming just shy of another cycle was Doray DiLallo, who had the second half of back-to-back homers with Cook in the first inning. DiLallo added a double in the second inning and a single in the third, but grounded out in her final at-bat. 

Other hitters included Emma Bellnier (2-for-3, three runs, triple, walk), Abigail Carr (3-for-4, three runs) and JoLin Evans (2-for-3, double, walk, three RBIs, three runs). 

The biggest development for Auburn might be Grace Hoey's outing. Hoey, a freshman called up from JV, pitched five innings and struck out five. She allowed only one hit. 

Horbal credited Hoey for her versatility and willingness to play, regardless of the timing of her call-ups. 

"She doesn't question it or hesitate, she's just ready to go," Horbal said. "She's always mentally focused and never shows distress or acts nervous. Other than a few walks, she did a great job."

Auburn has one more regular season game remaining on Friday against Syracuse City, one final chance to strengthen sectional seeding. Two of the Maroons' losses this season are against Jamesville-DeWitt, who will likely garner the top seed in the Class A playoffs. 

The Maroons are vying for that No. 2 spot with Chittenango, and the latter currently holds the edge. A Bears loss and Auburn win, however, can flip those positions. 

More so than ever, sectionals promises a chaotic schedule. First-round action begins next Monday, though Auburn likely won't play until Tuesday's sectional quarterfinals. 

If all goes according to plan, the Maroons could play three games from Tuesday to Saturday, culminating with the Class A title game. 

"Every game is so important right now, not only for seeding but for preparation for sectionals," Horbal said. "Our mentality right now is that we're going to the championship. Every game, we're walking in expecting to win if we perform the way we know we can."

Sports reporter Justin Ritzel can be reached at 282-2257 or at justin.ritzel@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @CitizenRitz.

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