VERMILION — The Vermilion Harbor Triathlon and Duathlon kicked off in style Sunday as a field of more than 500 athletes competed in the inaugural event, which started and finshed at Linwood Park.
Copley’s Ryan Bates, 28, and Shaker Heights’ Lauren Goldstein-Kral, 19, won Olympic division triathlon titles. Westlake High sophomore Jack St. Marie, 16, sprinted away with the sprint division crown in the men’s race. Kerry Flynn, 35, also from Copley, won the women’s sprint race.
The Olympic distance triathlon was a 1.5K swim, a 24-mile bike followed by a 10K run. The sprint triathlon was a 750-yard swim, 12-mile bike and a 5K run.
Bates (1:59:38) built a sizeable lead in the bike leg, then held off Wellston’s Scott Meyers, 33, (1:59:48) and Sandusky’s Alex Etchill, 29, (2:00:01) in the run. Professional triathletes, Bates, Meyers and Etchill competed in the elite division.
“I knew both Meyers and Etchill would be right there,” said Bates, a Wooster College graduate originally from Green Castle, Ind. “I took off in the run as fast as I could. I really died the last mile. I knew I would have a good swim-bike and have to hold them off in the run. I knew if I didn’t have a big lead going into the run I’d be in trouble.”
It was Bates’ third win in 10 races this year. The majority of his races have been pro events.
“I’ve competed triathlon for 12 years, but it was tough transitioning into the pro race,” said Bates, a first-year pro. “I knew it would be. Everybody has to go through that if they’re going to go pro and race the big guys.”
For St. Marie (57:51), it was lights out in the run. He overcame a 50-yard gap heading into the run to win big over elite triathlete Shannon Kurek, 39, (59:12), of Alexandria.
“I wasn’t totally sure how my body would react coming off nationals last weekend,” said St. Marie. “I’ve never considered myself a naturally talented athlete, like a decathlete. Somehow, I’m just able to put it altogether for all three. It’s interesting. It’s a blast. That’s why it’s so much fun.”
St. Marie, who stands 5-foot-8 and weighs 130 pounds, has enjoyed a great summer. He was third last weekend at Colorado Springs for the elite national age group championships for 16-19-year-olds and was 11th at the ITU World Triathlon championships for his age group in mid-June in Vancouver. He managed to finish the world event despite lacerating his left foot in transition going from the swim to the bike. St. Marie collided with a New Zealand athlete in the transition, and the cut later required eight stitches.
“It was really cold in Vancouver (52-degree water temperatures),” said St. Marie. “I think the cold helped mask some of the pain in my foot, at least during the bike. It was my first world championship event. I didn’t want the memory of having to drop out.”
Amherst’s Adam Kuncel, 26, was 10th out of the swim for the Olympic distance race. He moved up to fifth in the bike and held to his spot through the run. He was the race’s top male amateur (2:10:28).
“The swim went great, but I felt heavy, tight and weak for the first six miles of the bike,” said Kuncel. “I helped HPF Racing set up the bike and the run course for the race, so I knew the course. I was able to bounce back and finish strong heading into the run. I didn’t have a great run, but I was able to keep my position.”
An All-Ohio swimmer and cross country runner for Hathaway Brown, Kral-Goldstein was the class of the women’s Olympic distance race for amateurs. Brecksville’s Kim Shaheen, 38, (2:24:38), a 1988 Midview graduate was runner-up. Avon Lake’s Yvonne Saul-Craigo, 40, took third (2:30:34).
“I was at a youth development training camp for the last five weeks in Colorado Springs, so I just got back into town,” said Goldstein-Kral, who was runner-up at junior nationals, the top American at the Pan Americans and 35th at worlds this summer.
Saul-Craigo, the Shoregals track coach, won the Olympic women masters title by nearly eight minutes.
“Today’s course was much tougher than the Cleveland race two weeks ago. I could really feel it,” she said. “I think it was because of the difficulty of the bike. It impacted me more. There was some sweet competition here. Today was very tough.”
Lakewood’s Aaron Rood, 33, (2:11:25) won the Olympic distance duathlon race by over two minutes. The event was a 5K run, a 24-mile bike followed by a 10K run.
“I was a cross country runner in high school (Cortland Maplewood), but never ran track,” said Rood. “I was a catcher for the baseball team. Now I’m the old guy. They won’t let me throw a baseball.”
Contact Paul Heyse at 329-7135 or ctsports@chroniclet.com.

Triathlon

1. Ryan Bates, age 28 (Copley), 1:59:38; 2. Scott Meyers, 33 (Wellston), 1:59:48; 3. Alex Etchill, 29 (Sandusky), 2:00:01

1. Adam Kuncel, 26 (Amherst), 2:10:28; 2. Gerard Bricking, 41 (Ft. Thomas, Ky.), 2:12:53; 3. Mark Durno, 39 (Fairview Park), 2:13:02

15-19: 1. Patrick Culley (Olmsted Twp.), 2:39:23; 20-24: 1. Zachary Byers (Pittsburgh), 2:15:38; 3. Joe Gross (Amherst), 2:33:39; 25-29: 1. Kuncel; 30-34: 1. Bobby Standish (Wexford, Pa.), 2:19:19; 8. Ryan Till (Avon), 3:29:30; 35-39: 1. Durno; 5. Ken Hagan (Avon), 2:21:47

1. Brian Stern (Kirtland), 2:11:35; 2. Patrick Murray (Vermilion), 2:15:42; 3. Louis Moschetta (Westlake), 2:17:05

1. Durno; 2. Graeme Henderson (Beavercreek), 2:13:47; 3. Patrick Hollenbeck (Bellbrook), 2:17:49; 4. Tim Walsh (Westlake), 2:25:22; 45-49: 1. Mark Reynolds (Akron), 2:19:51; 2. Ed Hamm (Amherst), 2:30:32; 45-49: 1. James Galloway (Oberlin), 2:44:26; 50-54: 1. Dave Drabison (Austintown), 2:27:55; 55-59: 1. Ted Jaspers (Ft. Thomas, Ky.), 2:49:36; 60-64: 1. Gary Boos (Tiffin), 2:51:11
Clydesdale masters: 1. James Farrell (Westlake), 2:37:02
Relay: 1. One Good Swimmer (Amherst), 2:13:04

1. Andrea Myers, 32 (Wellston), 2:18:50; 2. Sally Price, 37 (Westlake), 2:22:30

1. Lauren Goldstein-Kral, 19 (Shaker Heights), 2:11:40; 2. Kim Shaheen, 38 (Brecksville), 2:24:28; 3. Yvonne Saul-Craigo, 40 (Avon Lake), 2:30:45

20-24: 1. Rachel DeRoche (State College, Pa.), 2:45:12; 3. Sadie Deckard (Wakeman), 2:59:44; 25-29: 1. Tiffany Dixon (Bowling Green, Oh.), 2:35:39; 30-34: 1. Holly Fiora (Englewood), 2:25:04; 35-39: 1. Shaheen

1. Saul-Craigo; 2. Deirdre Winkle (Delaware, Oh.), 2:38:33; 3. Rebecca Bahn (Indianapolis), 2:41:56; 45-49: 1. Winkle; 50-54: 1. Karen Winter (Elyria), 3:23:49

Sprint

Shannon Kurek, 39 (Alexandria, Oh.), 59:12

1. Jack St. Marie, 16 (Westlake), 57:51; 2. Kent Krafft, 47 (North Royalton), 1:03:13; 3. Curt Haywood, 42 (Dublin), 1:03:27

14 and younger: 1. Joshua Parks (Oberlin), 1:20:25; 15-19: 1. St. Marie; 3. Peter Hause (Amherst), 1:07:13; 20-24: 1. Kevin Herlihy (North Royalton), 1:03:29; 4. Paul Pritchard (Sheffield Lake), 1:14:22; 25-29: 1. Butler; 2. Joshua Brown (Bay Village), 1:06:03; 30-34: 1. Richard Kingston (Columbus), 1:07:09; 8. Phil Kerber (Bay Village), 1:20:1; 35-39: 1. Mike Bramhall (Avon), 1:14:30

1. Tom LeBuhn (Hamilton), 59:45; 2. Ken Bodnar (Hinckley), 1:05:48; 3. Mark Lemmon (Columbus), 1:07:15

Krafft; 2. Haywood; 3. Jahan Culbreath (Centerville), 1:03:33; 45-49: 1. Krafft; 2. 9. Randy Laverty (Avon Lake), 1:29:01; 50-54: 1. Jerry Lee (Mason), 1:08:52; 8. Ihor Suszko (Vermilion), 1:29:03; 55-59: 1. Dan Reardon (Oregon, Oh.), 1:11:43; 6. Ed Eisbrenner (Elyria), 1:21:23; 60-64: 1. John Menzies (Bay Village), 1:14:49; Clydesdale sub masters: 4. Tim Blackman (Vermilion), 1:18:37; Clydesdale masters: 3. Thad Bosman (Vermilion), 1:21:56

1. Kerry Flynn, 35 (Copley), 1:07:10; 2. Sheri Branum, 38 (Milan), 1:07:33; 3. Geri Flore, 37 (Columbus), 1:10:53

25-29: 1. Audrey Gray (South Euclid), 1:14:24; 6. Orlando Orlando (Avon), 1:20:06; 30-34: 1. Lynn Porowski (Avon Lake), 1:20:01; 35-39: 1. Flynn; 9. Daneen Donatelli (Avon Lake), 1:30:49

1. Anne Callahan (Bay Village), 1:15:19; 2. Karen Bartlett (Chagrin Falls), 1:16:33; 3. Amy Ball (Columbus), 1:16:53; 40-44: 8. Michele Murphy (Columbia Station), 1:27:33; 45-49: 1. Susan George (Medina), 1:17:07; 2. Michelle Mead (Berea), 1:20:27; 50-54: 1. Bonnie Neltner (Cincinnati), 1:21:51; 55-59: 1. Bartlett

Duathlon

1. Aaron Rood, 33 (Lakewood), 2:11:25; 2. Jimmy Little, 45 (Galloway), 2:13:55; 3. Dan Peplin, 53 (Medina), 2:27:31; 4. Scot Wernette, 40 (Novi, Mi.), 2:29:44; 5. Jeff Zaremba, 47 (Canton), 2:30:34

1. Jennifer Petkovsek, 28 (Lakewood), 2:40:27; 2. Rhonda Bohanon, 51 (Hamilton), 2:47:56; 3. Brandy Smith, 29 (Lakewood), 2:50:44; 4. Bridget Kubacki, 24 (North Ridgeville), 2:55:36; 5. Deb Wheeler, 53 (Strongsville), 3:07:47

Sprint

1. Kevin Alexander, 30 (Troy), 1:11:53; 2. Brian McGowan, 41 (Harrison City, Pa.), 1:12:42; 3. Duane Eberhart, 34 (Wooster), 1:14:57; 4. Elliot Watson (Oregon, Oh.), 1:15:36; 5. Michael Ode, 39 (North Royalton), 1:16:10

1. Christine Vincent, 45 (Jackson, Mi), 1:20:20; 2. J. Anderson, 36 (Columbus), 1:21:28; 3. Nancy Desmond, 43 (Berea), 1:24:20; 4. Becky Mincheff, 45 (Oregon, Oh.), 1:27:30; 5. Missy Henrich, 42 (Blacklick), 1:29:29 

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