Towson, Md. – When the Towson University men's lacrosse team returned to Baltimore from Costa Rica on June 6, Brian Hoskins left for Ocean City, Maryland to spend the summer working in a restaurant. Three months later, the junior midfielder returned to campus as the Ocean City Beach Patrol (OCBP) Rookie Athlete of the Year.

"I was going to make good money but wanted to do something that would keep me in shape for the fall and spring," Hoskins said. "Around town, people were talking about how they were short lifeguards so one night I looked on the OCBP website and the next morning happened to be their final pre-employment test, which you must pass to become a lifeguard."

The OCBP has been saving lives along Maryland's coast since 1930. The beach patrol's lifeguards risk their own lives while navigating rip currents and heavy surf to rescue distraught swimmers and bring them ashore to safety.

Hoskins passed pre-employment physical skill evaluation on June 11, which included running a 300-meter soft sand sprint in under 65 seconds and completed a 500-meter swim in under 10 minutes to earn probational status to the Surf Rescue Academy. Only three of the 15 candidates trying out that day advanced to the probation stage. While on probation, Hoskins received instruction, including open water rescues, use of rescue equipment and physical training consistent with the demands of the job. After one week, he earned Surf Rescue Technician Surf status and an assignment to the beach.

"I had not swum competitively since fifth grade, so I wasn't sure how I would do," Hoskins added. "In the pre-test, I finished the swim in nine minutes 16 seconds but a week later by at the end of academy week, I went down to eight minutes and five seconds. Swimming is the best cardio exercise. It helped keep me in shape all summer."

The beach patrol is on duty every day from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Hoskins was assigned a chair on 98^th Street outside The Plaza, a high-rise condominium featuring 17 floors and 220 units. During his nine weeks on the beach, he was part of saving eight lives, including five during his last week on the job (Aug. 15-21).

"That Tuesday and Wednesday, the waves were enormous," Hoskins said." We would not let people go up past their knees. Later in the day, people were hopping in the water, not knowing what was going and on and ended up being taken out by the rip current. It was just a matter of seconds before they get in trouble. It is cool to come back in after a save because the whole beach is watching and everyone starts clapping. It is surreal and makes you feel good. I felt it the most after the first one. It was earlier in the summer. There was a little girl, about four or five years old, on a boogie board who got taken out by the rip current. I whistled to her to start paddling to her left, but she panicked and ditched her boogie board. That is a sign for us to go. I got to her quick enough to pull her in. Her Dad was so thankful."

A week into the job, Hoskins was asked to join the OCPB Competition Team, which battles beach patrol squads from neighboring Delaware, like Bethany, Sea Colony, Dewey and Rehoboth on a weekly basis in a series of team events. One of his teammates was former Towson University swimmer Evan Brophy.

Hoskins ran the anchor leg in the Soft Sand Relay, in which four guards from the same crew sprint 150 meters. In the final competition of the season, the OCBP took home gold medal in the Rehoboth Olympics. At the awards ceremony at the end of the summer, Hoskins was named Ocean City Beach Patrol Surf Rescue Association Rookie Athlete of the Year.

The St. Paul's graduate, who missed the second half of his sophomore season with a hand injury, is a second-generation lacrosse player at Towson. His father, Scott, was a four-year starter on defensive midfield and scored the go-ahead goal in a win over Johns Hopkins as a senior in 1996. His mother, Lauren, played both lacrosse and field hockey for Tigers in the late 1990's. Brian's younger sister Meghan is an incoming freshman on the women's lacrosse team.

Both Tiger lacrosse teams began fall practice this week.

"It is a dream come true to be here," Hoskins stated. "Growing up, we lived two blocks away from Unitas Stadium and used to come to every Towson lacrosse game when I was younger when Coach Nadelen was the assistant under Tony Seaman. I still remember Coach Nads lifting me over the bike racks to get into the locker room for autographs from the players. It is so cool to think that now I am on the other side."