A pair of runners who are very familiar with Dowagiac, but not necessarily the Steve’s Run course went home with championship Saturday.

Bridgman’s Brian Patrick and Otsego’s Alex Comerford were the men’s championship in the 5K and 10K races at the 43rd annual Steve’s Run held at Southwestern Michigan College.

Both have run cross country races on the Dowagiac Union High School course, which shares part of the trails that SMC runs on.

Both easily came home winners in their respective races.

Comerford defeated Miles Ellman by nearly 12 minutes as he posted a time of 33:42 compared to Ellman’s 45:36.

“It is definitely a tough course,” said Comeford, who was second in the 5K last year. “It is hilly toward the last half of it, but it is a fun course to race on.”

Jordan Callison was the women’s 10K champion with a time of 42:57.

“It was hard and it was a little hot,” said Callison, who has finished second previously in Steve’s Run. “I think I have run better races here before, I just placed better today.”

Patrick defeated runner-up Dave Jones by more than two seconds as he posted a time of 16:24 compared to Jones’ 16:26.

Patrick had previously competed in the race prior to his freshman and sophomore years at Bridgman, but had not competed the last two years.

He will head off to Northwood to run cross country and track in the fall.

“The weather was great,” he said. “The only problem I had was my legs were a little bit heavy coming in because I have been walking all week. I took this as a workout more than a race. So, it was a high-tempo race for me and I knew I would have a couple of guys here to run with. But, apart from that, everything else was amazing. I loved it.”

Dowagiac’s Shawn Little was fourth overall with a time of 18:05.

Pais Trevino was the women’s 5K champion with a clocking of 19:56.

A total of 405 runners and walked crossed the finished line at Southwestern Michigan College, which was down from the 651 participants in the 2016 race.

 

STEVE’S RUN

Men’s 10K results

Overall winner

Alex Comerford 33:42

11-14

Miles Ellman 45:36

15-19 

Cameron Chapman 36:41

20-24

Chris Gantt 40:36

25-29

Luciano Villegas 40:42

30-34 

Ryan Malloy 42:41

35-39

Stephen Pease 47:28

40-44

Derek Opperman 48:29

45-49

Matthew Elick 54:49

50-54

Sean O’Connor 45:56

55-59

Jim Hoover 48:58

60-64

Bruce Wells 1:05:12

65-69

Marshall Meyer 47:45

70-74

Rick Huff 1:02:22

 

Overall female winner 

Jordan Callison 42:57

11-14

Morgan McCulloch 46:20

15-19

Jenna Miller 44:48

20-24

Morgan Troyer 56:23

25-29

Kaylee McClanahan 43:07

30-34

Jess Townsley 1:00:51

35-39

Abby Paul 46:59

40-44

Missy Biek 49:33

45-49

Shelley Moyer 56:31

50-54

Janice Eagle 56:30

55-59

Mary Zemansky 58:16

60-64

Christine Staehler 49:42

 

Men’s 5K run

Overall winner

Brian Patrick 16:24

10 and under

Michael Lounsbury 24:30

11-14

Hunter Zartman 18:32

15-19

Shawn Little 18:03

20-24

Dave Jones 16:26

25-29

Kyle Hill 20:04

30-34

Charles Nelson 21:54

35-39

Jonathan McCrea 20:36

40-44

Matt Clay 23:11

45-49

Joe Petersen 23:29

50-54

Terry Manning 24:02

55-59

John Heimbuch 24:16

60-64

Phil Sullivan 23:18

65-69

George Leamy 32:21

70-74

Dan Whitten 33:02

75-79

Dick Judd 42:37

80 and over 

Jerry Hoffman 1:09:42

 

Women’s overall 

winner

Pais Trevino 19:56

10 and under

Mali Szalai 25:25

11-14

Erin Moore 21:18

15-19

Meghan Cooper 22:20

20-24

Hannah Cillick 27:20

25-29

Mandy Stump 27:10

30-34

Jackie Blankenship

21:34

35-39

Robyn Peterson 24:00

40-44

Melissa Kennedy 30:13

45-49

Lee Miller 28:41

50-54

Sherry Fritz 24:20

55-59

Tricia Lewis

60-64

Jean Storm 27:01

65-69

Renate De Jong-Meyer

41:00

70-74 

Glady Smith 48:48

75-79

Camille Briegel 55:07