By David Weinberg
Charles Schreiner literally got cold feet – in addition to other body parts – before last Friday’s 80th Margate World War II Memorial Lifeguard Championships.
The Atlantic City Beach Patrol swimmer tested the ocean that morning and was soon shivering.
“It was really cold,” Schreiner said. “To be honest, I didn’t know if I’d be able to race. But once the fog lifted, the water warmed up and I was fine.”
Once he thawed out, he delivered an impressive performance during the open swim that evening at Margate’s Huntington Avenue beach.
Atlantic City swimmer Charles Schreiner (left) and Cape May singles rower Mike Fitzpatrick are the favorites for Friday’s South Jersey Lifeguard Championships.
The Egg Harbor Township High School graduate and Boston University standout continued his summer winning streak by earning first place in the swim while also leading Atlantic City to the team title for the third time in four years.
Schreiner, who also won the men’s swim at the Dutch Hoffman Memorials two weeks ago, will be aiming to sweep the event at all three major races on the South Jersey lifeguard circuit when he competes in the South Jersey Championships in Avalon this Friday.
He would become the first swimmer to complete the trifecta since Avalon’s Dolan Grisbaum did so in 2022.
Unofficially, Schreiner would also be the first Atlantic City swimmer to accomplish the feat since John Kenney in 2002.
Schreiner figures to fact stiff competition on Friday in his quest to win his third South Jersey title in four years. Grisbaum, the defending South Jersey champion, is not competing this summer, but there are a number of worthy contenders such as Avalon’s Tim Hanway, Upper Township’s Logan Manning and Brigantine’s James Haney.
“It’s always an exciting race,” Schreiner said.
Cape May singles rower Mike Fitzpatrick also has a chance to make history Friday.
Like Schreiner, Fitzpatrick also won at the Dutch Hoffman’s and Margate Memorials. No Cape May competitors have ever won all three events.
He would be the first Cape May lifeguard to win an event in the South Jersey’s since the late Kevin Murphy and Jim Wadlow won back-to-back doubles crowns in 1995-96.
“This has been the best summer of my life,” Fitzpatrick said after winning at Margate. “I’ve been coming to Cape May my entire life and it’s an honor to represent the beach patrol in these races.”
The latter victory was earned during a thrilling race. Fitzpatrick and Longport veteran Mike McGrath were stroke for stroke approaching the shore.
Fitzpatrick caught a wave and turned sideways, but managed to right himself in time to edge McGrath at the finish line.
“That was some wonky surf coming in,” Fitzpatrick said. “There were a couple of big waves and a couple of smaller ones. I just did my best to catch one.”
The unpredictability of the ocean makes it difficult to predict results.
Strong currents and rolling waves can change outcomes in a matter of seconds, especially in the singles row.
Fitzpatrick’s top rivals on Friday in Avalon figure to be McGrath, who is the defending champion, 2025 winner Ryan Finnegan of Avalon, Atlantic City’s Vince Granese and Wildwood Crest’s Jake Klecko.
The doubles row could also be tight.
Margate’s Chris Spiers and Bob Bechtel staved off Longport’s McGrath and Sean Duffey to win at the Margate Memorials. Granese and partner Nick Guidara took first for Atlantic City at the Dutch Hoffman’s.
Special credit belongs to twin sisters Molly and Maura Quinn of Sea Isle City. When a member of Sea Isle’s regular doubles crew was forced to withdraw due to injury, the Quinn’s stepped in and became the first women’s doubles crew to compete in the Margate Memorials in the 80-year history of the race.
The Quinn’s, Egg Harbor Township graduates who row for the University of Delaware, will likely not be in Avalon on Friday. They are expected to skip the race in favor of the second annual Women’s South Jersey Lifeguard Championships in Ventnor on Wednesday.
Atlantic City is favored to win the team title behind swimmer Ady Elko and singles rower Madison Lisitsin. They won their respective events at last week’s Bill Howarth Women’s Lifeguard Invitational in Ventnor. Ventnor’s Charlotte Thomas and Leah Nirenberg won the doubles row.
Both South Jersey Championships should be great events, though they should not be held separately.
The best way to determine a true South Jersey champion would be to allow the men and women to compete at the same beach on the same day and combine the results of each race.
Allowing the women to row and swim – the powers that be should also add a men’s and women’s paddleboard race – in front of the huge crowds that typically watch the men’s race would no doubt add to the excitement.
Hopefully, it happens soon.
Eagles set to open preseason
The Philadelphia Eagles will open the preseason Saturday at the Baltimore Ravens.
If past preseasons under coach Nick Sirianni are any indication, don’t expect to see any starters in action.
He typically likes to rest his top players during the preseason, which means Tanner McKee, Andy Daulton and rookie Cole Payton will be sharing reps at quarterback instead of Jalen Hurts.
Fans will have to wait until the regular season opener on September 13 against the Washington Commanders to see Hurts, running back Saquon Barkley, wide receiver DeVonta Smith and company.
David is a nationally recognized sports columnist who has covered Philadelphia and local sports for over 40 years. After 35 years with The Press, he has served as a columnist for 973ESPN.com and created his own Facebook page, Dave Weinberg Extra Points. Send comments to weinbergd419@comcast.net.
