Locals proud to compete at home

SANDUSKY — Thomas Yourkiewicz's face told the story. The 36-year old Huron resident crossed the Ironman finish line after 70.3 miles with his mouth wide open, letting out a shout as he lifted his arms toward the clear blue sky. Elation and pride. That's what Yourkiewicz, a driver for Ohio Edison who called these streets of Sandusky his "home base," felt on Sunday, just like the more than 100 local competitors. "It's really unique," Yourkiewicz said. "It's really special to be local… I've worked so hard. It's worth celebrating." This Ironman event, now in its third year in Sandusky, brings out a bunch of seasoned triathletes. But it also welcomes those, many from the area, who want to push themselves to heights that initially might seem impossible. Their times matter, especially in personal comparison to last year. But the accomplishment itself matters just as much. "You see too many people getting out of shape, so it's just trying to make a change," said Yourkiewicz, who competed for the first time in 2023. "Just trying to be a good example for my three kids." Sandusky's weather came through for the competition this time around, giving those from the area one of those pristine summer days down by the water that they know and love. "It was fantastic," said Benjamin Hastings of Berlin Heights. "Perfect conditions. We got to wear wetsuits in the morning, so everybody was happy." The top finisher with local roots was Brett Collins, who now lives in LaGrange, Illinois but graduated from Margaretta High School. He placed 10th overall in 4:05.22. The fastest area resident was the standout Kim Wikel from Milan, who won her 45-49 female age range in 4:48:02. Hastings, 54, came through next, breaking the five-hour mark (4:55:18) for the first time in many years. "It all felt pretty good," Hastings said. "The bike felt really good, and the run was surprisingly good. It was fantastic." Hastings, a 1988 Edison graduate and experienced triathlete, has competed in Sandusky's Ironman all three years. "Triathlon is just a good sport to begin with," Hastings said. "The people are so good. The volunteers are awesome. And to have it in your backyard, I used to travel all over, to finally have something 20 minutes from your house, I've gotta go." Jonathan Smith of Sandusky put up a time of 5:10:50. Charles Smith IV out of Norwalk completed the course in 5:22:50. Brian Hackenburg of Huron made it home in 5:25:27. Sandusky's Laura Cobb took seven minutes off her time from last year, putting up a 5:30.25. "A lot cooler, felt better," Cobb said. "... I was really taking it in, high-fiving everybody on the street. People knew I was from Sandusky, so they were cheering for me. It felt good." Monroeville's Jonthan Suter came across in 5:44:43, followed by Huron's Cori Dike in 5:49:38 and Sandusky's Beth Werling in 5:53:27. Bill Orshoski of Huron broke the six-hour barrier in 5:56:51. "There's something great about being able to wake up in your own bed to go do a race," Orshoski said. "Any race, but this spectacle, it just makes it next level." Orshoski, like a number of the competitors, was very grateful for Mother Nature's contribution. "I had never been able to run the whole run, mostly I would walk because it was just so hot," Orshoski said. "This time I almost ran the whole thing. I turned out a couple of my fastest miles the last two." Huron's Kacie Geretz closed out her race in 6:00:27. Bellevue's Lee Booze put up a 6:02:43. Yourkiewicz came next, in 6:07:18, a 30-minute improvement from 2023. Jack Morris, another Huron resident, put up a 6:19:53. Originally from Fremont, Morris read a book about ultramarathons by Dean Karnazes and decided to take on a challenging pursuit of his own. "It's a beautiful scene," Morris said. "... The first time I did this, I had a very bad run. But this year, I kept ice on my neck and didn't sweat the entire thing. I felt really good." Port Clinton's Alex Linn finished in 6:24.50, with Berlin Heights' Doug Green (6:30:52) and Sandusky's Adrian Barriga (6:38:18) next. Huron's Tom Dusza crossed the line in 6:44:08. Oak Harbor's Roger Parker put up a 7:04:52. Port Clinton's Meredith Linn made it in 7:09:23. Fremont's Grant Stepanic posted a 7:12:05. Sandusky's James Stacey III completed the course in 7:29:37. Bellevue's Morgan Andrews got to the line in 7:48:44. Sandusky's Kevin Burns capped his competition in 7:50:51. Huron's Tara Dunlap completed her day in 7:51:26. Castalia's Koren Orman made it through in 7:52:06. Next finishing was Huron's John Adams in 7:58:19. Danny Weyer of Sandusky finished the race in 8:07:51. Sandusky's Roger Binette got to the end in 8:25:45. And Sandusky's Steve Prentice, a year after not finishing the swim portion quickly enough to continue, completed the 70.3 miles this time in 8:35:59. The rest of the local athletes competed as part of relay teams. Castalia's Victoria Luma was on the winning relay, Working Triathlete. Luma took the swimming leg and completed it in about half an hour along with two of her triathlon teammates from northeast Ohio. Luma, who was the fastest local competitor each of the past two seasons, is preserving her health ahead of competing at the Ironman world championships at both the half (70.3) and full (140.6) distances later this year. Randy Lehrer and Brett Reed comprised a two-man relay which placed seventh out of 50 in a combined time of 4:58.43. "This is so good to have a local race," Lehrer said. "Ironman puts on a great race. It's one of the best races I've ever done. It's nice sleeping in your own bed, coming in and knowing where you're going during the race." Lehrer, who grew up in Huron and is now Vermilion's swim coach, took the swimming and biking portions of the event. "The swim was good," Lehrer said. "It's pretty cool jumping off the back of a boat into the water. And having family here, you can see them even during the swim… The bike course, pretty flat, a ride toward Fremont and Clyde and back. It hurt a little bit more than last year." Reed, the former St. Mary Central Catholic standout, handled the half marathon. He anchored the winning relay a year ago but didn't run for Heidelberg this past season, meaning he needed to ramp back up in a hurry. "I was a little skeptical about running today," Reed said. "I started coaching (cross country) at St. Mary's, so it was a good thing to get in shape. The practice runs were not showing today's results, so I think it's just something special here that makes you go faster." The local athletes provided a cool dichotomy of the Ironman as a whole — men and women, young and old, former athletes and not. They pursue milestones, yes, but the clearest destination is the finish line. In Sandusky, for these local folks, it means a final run down the familiar stretch of Columbus Avenue next to the State Theatre. And it doesn't get old. "I don't even know how to put it into words, it's great every year," Reed said. "When you're local, grow up here, especially if you're an athlete around here and you run and bike, it's special. This is a big event they put on, and you're part of the biggest event of the year. Every time is special."