Monmouth County finish fourth in National Championship Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 08/26/06 BY JOSH NEWMAN, STAFF WRITER

As would be expected in a place like California, the Golden State is home to some of the nation's finest lifeguards.

A pretty obvious statement seeing as how California has yearlong rays, world renowned waves and an abundance of tourists at all times of year.

So it would be a pretty safe bet when the United States Lifesaving Association held its annual national championship in Huntington Beach, that left coast teams would have the first, last and only word.

While the overall title went to Los Angeles County, it was the Monmouth County Chapter Lifeguards team that had a large hand in the final result, as it took fourth place overall during the prestigious event Aug. 10-12.

The Monmouth County team, a group of seasonal lifeguards, was led by a stellar showing in the surfboat competition as it took first place in five age categories, including the always brutal open division.

Warren Towns and Dave Healy took the open division surfboat title. What makes this more remarkable is Healy is 46 years old and a veteran of 23 national championship appearances with this being his first open division win.

"Monmouth County always gets a lot of respect at this event," Healy said. "The feeling of finally being able to win this event feels amazing. I had finished second six times in the past so this one was special."

With the win this year, Towns and Healy are only the second East Coast boat team to win on the West Coast. Brothers Bill and Dan George won in 1995 in Santa Cruz, Calif., and shared in this year's sweep of the open row category along with Jack Green and Paul Elyseev. Green and Elyseev won the 30-35 age group with the Georges winning the 40-44 age group. The most impressive thing about the Monmouth County rowing winners is they were able to dominate in the often treacherous California surf as this marked the second consecutive year Monmouth County has won the open division.

Another Herculean effort from Monmouth County came when Matt Nunnally took home the Open American Ironman competition and along with it, the unofficial title of top lifeguard in the country. The competition consists of swimming, paddling and rowing as Nunnally executed them all to perfection.

Nunnally's win in the Ironman helped him finish third in points among all open competitors behind Blaine Morgan and Brian Murphy, both of Los Angeles County.