MAKING MOVES: Allie Fenska and the other Long Beach Township women scored 13 points during the Ship Bottom Beach Patrol Mermaid Classic on Aug. 6, finishing in second place behind Monmouth County power Sea Girt, which totaled 26 points. (Photo by David Biggy)
After being postponed until after the Island Lifeguard Championship due to weather concerns the previous week, the fourth annual Mermaid Classic women’s tournament proved to be a great way to conclude the lifeguard competition season.
“The Mermaid Classic tournament turned out well, with 10 teams competing,” said tournament director Tracey Hemmerle from the Ship Bottom Beach Patrol. “The winds died down a bit in the afternoon, and with our marks set pretty far, there was distance to contend with and sandbar conditions to navigate, as well as some waves at the lower tide. All the competitors did an amazing job, and we were so glad to be able to host again. It was a great night showcasing our female guards of LBI and beyond.”
With all six patrols representing Long Beach Island in contention on Aug. 6, as well as Island Beach State Park, Lavallette, Brigantine and Sea Girt, the women competed in five events and a “surprise relay,” which was not scored.
Sea Girt, a Monmouth County powerhouse, captured the tourney title with 26 points, while Long Beach Township took second with 13 points, Ship Bottom grabbed third with 11 points, and Harvey Cedars and Brigantine wrapped up the top five with 10 points each.
In the opening event, the Doubles Row, Laura Ventre and Laura Finelli scored Ship Bottom’s only first-place points, while Brigantine finished second and Barnegat Light’s Anna Salamy and Grace Humbarger snagged third. Following Sea Girt’s trio in the Swim Relay, LBTBP’s Allie Fenska, Annie Krusinski and Ella Lyons finished second, and Surf City’s Allie Vile, Avery Schrader and Julia Schmalze took third.
For the Paddle Relay, Sea Girt’s foursome snagged first place, and the Beach Haven quartet of Miranda Heimowitz, Fiona Rizzo, Kate Barrone and Frankie Rizzo grabbed second. The Township crew of Lexi Rodal, Devin Sutch, Jocelyn Belena and Krusinski snatched third.
In the Ironwoman Medley, the Harvey Cedars squad of Maggie Creevy, Amanda Semsel, Ava Fields, Julia Gilbert and Lily Stauffer finished in first, followed by Sea Girt and Brigantine. The top three teams in the Run Relay to conclude the scored events were Sea Girt, Long Beach Township and Ship Bottom.
The surprise race was a Beach Ball Buddy Relay, in which eight competitors – two each per leg, totaling four legs – had to carry a beach ball between them without using their hands or allowing the ball to touch the sand.
Originally, the tournament was scheduled for July 28, a day after the Ship Bottom Beach Patrol Invitational Donlon Memorial tournament. —D.B.