SPORTSCOPE
Los Angeles County lifeguards won their fifth consecutive U.S. Lifesaving Assn. championship last week, outdistancing a field of 51 teams on Lake Michigan near Chicago.
Top winners for the L.A. team were Diane Graner of Westchester, Phil Topar of El Segundo and Craig Hummer of Santa Monica, who combined for 13 victories, and Bill Bischoff of Manhattan Beach, Shari Latta of Malibu and John Stonier of Avalon, who each won two events.
Topar was particularly dominating in the Master’s Division (age 39 to 48), with individual titles in International and American Ironman events, 1,000-meter swim, run-swim-run and surf ski. He also teamed with Joel Gitelson of Lomita to win the two-person rescue race title.
Graner won the 1,000-meter swim and American Ironwoman titles. She teamed with Lisa Dial of Hawthorne for the rescue race.
Bischoff won the rescue board and International Ironman in the senior division (29-38). Hummer was a standout in the Open Division with victories in the International Ironman, 1,000-meter swim, run-swim-run and rescue board.
The L.A. entry totaled 492 points. Monmouth County, N.J., was second with 129, followed by the California Lifeguard Assn. with 113.
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