Special To The Tribune

RUSSELL, Ky. - You might say there are now two teenagers in the Tri-State who would rather switch and win - and they did just that Saturday in the 31st annual Kiwanis Club of East Greenup County’s Run By The River.

Tanner Alexander of Russell and Sarah Ruggles of Franklin Furnace, both 16,

had typically run 5K races in past years but switched to the 10K course yesterday and went home with the top trophies.

Meanwhile, Nate Ritz, 25, of Delaware, Ohio, who was visiting the area to participate in a friend’s wedding, took charge of the 5K race by establishing a record time of 15:50 while Sarah Appleton of Portsmouth picked up her second victory in three years in the women’s division.

Alexander was bursting with pride following the 10K race.

“I loved it,” he said of the race. “It’s a great tradition and I always enjoy coming each year.”

Alexander placed third in last year’s 5K and has been running since 6th grade. But as a member of the varsity track and cross country team at Russell High School, the junior is transitioning to longer runs.

His efforts paid off and he can now display his first trophy for a victory in a 10K race. He turned in a time of 36:50, more than three minutes ahead of second-place finisher Mark McFann, 34, of Pedro.

Ruggles, who won the women’s 5K last year, also made this her first 10K race.

“It was a really good race,” Ruggles said. “The weather cooperated and we had a cool breeze.”

Like Alexander, she’s part of her cross country team at Wheelersburg High School.

While Ritz was establishing a record time, Appleton was re-establishing herself as the one to beat in the women’s 5K. She won the race in 2006. With a time of 20:54, the Notre Dame High School grad and soon-to-be Wooster College student said she felt she was “a little slow but still it was good.”

“This is a good course to run. It’s pretty,” said Appleton, referring to the route along the Ohio River. “The race is run really nice and efficiently.”

The 31st Run By The River featured 200 runners, the biggest field in the last decade, according to race director Tim Gearhart. There were 59 in the 10K run, 133 in the 5K and others who walked.

Money raised by the event is used to provide scholarships to Key Club seniors at three local high schools, food baskets at Thanksgiving, toys and clothing for kids at Christmas and other youth projects.

East Greenup County Kiwanis Club

31st Annual Run By The River

10K Results:

1. Tanner Alexander 36:50, 2. Mark McFann 39:56, 3. Andy Maynard 40:20, 4. Eric Taylor 40:58, 5. Chuck Cantrell 41:20, 6. Randall Watts 41:50, 7. Ralph Craft 42:38, 8. Adam Stumbo 43:14, 9. Lee Evans 43:25, 10. Ed Davis 43:41, 11. Scott Johnson 43:43, 12. Sarah Ruggles 44:34, 13. Alan Horwitz 44:42, 14. Mandy Musick 45:19, 15. Wes Holiday 46:08.

16. Patrick Whitt 46:18, 17. Kevin Nelson 47:03, 18. David Gill 48:07, 19. Richard Daniels 48:12, 20. Robert Johnson 49:02, 21. Joshua Riley 50:14, 22. Ryan Ramsey 50:41, 23. Mathew Winters 50:55, 24. Michael Thompson 50:56, 25. Liz Moore 51:16, 26. Amy Kline 51.24, 27. Michelle Finch 52:16, 28. Jeff Keeton 53:20, 29. Bill Vansickle 54:25, 30. Russ Rucker 55:01.

31. Kristy Dyer 55:21, 32. Julie Marsh 55:24, 33. Bill Musick 55:36, 34. Al Siebel 55:42, 35. Chris Finfrock 55:54, 36. Russ Sommers 56:05, 37. Hasmukh Patel 56:18, 38. Don Mega 57:03, 39. Dale Foster 57:13, 40. Brian Ashley 57:15, 41, Danny Wells 57:17, 42. Bill Terry 57:26, 43. Regina Clay 476:39, 44. Jim Payne 58:22, 45. Donald Price 58:59.

46. Rue Sanders 59:47, 47.Jennifer Hatcher 48. Peggy Kindinger 1:01:44, 49. Mark McOwen 1:03:16, 50. Paul Gillispie 1:03:57, 51. Don Wilson 1:04:52, 52. Theresa Kline 1:05:13, 53. Sara Crank 1:07:38, 54. Jackie Journey 1:09:59, 55. Jill Adkins 1:13:24, 56. Frank Lumberg 1:14:42, 57. Samantha Adkins 1:18:24, 58. Mary Adkins 1:18:25, 59. 1:19:46.

5K Results:

1. Nate Ritz 15:50, 2. Blake Jones 16:09, 3. Jim Myers 18:17, 4. Pat Riley 18:44, 5. Jonathan Blatt 19:04, 6. Jacob Pauley 19:11, 7. Danger Collins 19:14, 8. Fred Jones 19:16, 9. Jamie LoFiego 19:26, 10. Dalton Caudill 19:38, 11. Lanny Fraley 19:43, 12. Tim Bailey 19:52, 13. Ed Edwards 20:18, 14. Ron Simpson 20:23, 15. Seth Harper 20:52.

16. Sarah Appleton 20:55, 17. Brett McClung 20:58, 18. Anthony Webb 20:58, 19. Grant McKenzie 21:11, 20. Ted Topanak 21:14, 21. Kylie Lemmons 21:19, 22. Don Thornsbury 21:44, 23. Jeff Baker 21:45, 24. David Siders 21:46, 25. Cameron Sanders 21:53, 26. Nathan Murray 22:13, 27. Darren Slone 22:22, 28. Brian Shope 22:23, 29. Vic Keiser 22:31, 30. Anthony Fraley 22:43.

31. Collin McKenzie 22:54, 32. Ross Turner 22:55, 33. Jerry Henderson 22:56, 34. Mark Gibbs 23:14, 35. Jordan Vallance 23:35, 36. Eric Rawlins 23:42, 37. Megan Harper 23:45, 38. Ryan Harper 23:49, 39. Ben O’Dell 24:14, 40. Travis Sanders 24:34, 41. Garreth Hevender 25:05, 42. Tom Eaches 25:07, 43. Toni Markins 25:12, 44. Ryan McComas 25:14, 45. Brandon Fizer 25:22.

46. Matthew Nelson 25:32, 47. Brad McFann 25:44, 48. Rusty Gray 25:48, 49. Royison 25:55, 50. Jacob Short 26:00, 51. Jason Roper 26:02, 52. Michael Miller 26:03, 53. Greg Frasure 26:08, 54. Courtney McDaniels 26:15, 55. Kali Mattingly 26:42, 56. MaKenzi Speaks 26:41, 57. Chad Gabbard 26:52, 58. Larry Caines 26:53, 59. Patrick Craft 26:54, 60. Susan McKenzie 26:55.

61. David Sellers 27:03. 62. Andy Watkins 27:10, 63. Christy Vaughn 27:14, 64. Todd Buris 27:20, 65. Larry Reed 27:40, 66. Brenda Scott 27:53, 67. Charles Angell 27:55, 68. Kristin Daniels 27:57, 69. Seth Miller 28:00, 70. Robert Evans 28:04, 71. Betty Neff 28:31, 72. Doug Thompson 28:32, 73. James McKenzie 28:44, 74. Julia Spence 29:12, 75. Pennie Garvin 29:13.

76. Lisa Henderson 29:34, 77. Keisha Randolph 29:42, 78. Bryce Randolph 29:43, 79. Donnie Parker 30:12, 80. Pamela Reed 30:19, 81. Greg Frasure 30:36, 82. Bill Francis 30:37, 83. Jack Schrader 30:40, 84. Angel O’Pell 30:42, 85. Sarah Deerfield 30:46, 86. Don O’Pell 30:47, 87. Abby Keeton 30:49, 88. Darren Spainhower 30:51, 89. Amy Gray 30:59, 90. Crystal Cantrell 31:15.

91 Julie Milhoan 31:17, 92. Brett Gaeger 31:35, 93. Cristi Ramey 31:35, 94. Kim Toland 31:42, 95. Larry Neff 31:49, 96. Terri Gaeger 31:57, 97. Richard Balmer 32:21, 98. Ronald Robinson 32:27, 99. Ernie Pitts 32:40, 100. Jacob Nelson 32:55, Lynette Speaks 33:35, 102. Joshua Hunt 34:16, 103. Denise Spainhower 35:00, 104. Richard Hever 35:30, 105. Tim Gibson 36::02.

106. Melissa Vallance 36:13, 107. James Barker 36:30, 108. Tammie Ashley 36:57, 109. Bonita Topanak 37:08, 110. Jim Keeton 37:09, 111. Amanda Watkins 37:46, 112. Barbara Fowler 38:07, 113. Debbie Brewer 39:57, 114. Mariah Ramey 40:01, 115. Gene Bonecutter 40:22, 116. Leigh Ann Keeton 42:11, 117. Logan Reed 42:14, 118. Katie Daniels 44:13, 119. Michael Daniels 44:22, 120. Ruby Webster 44:36.

121. Jennifer Bayes, 122. Shelli Bartram 45:35, 123. Jean Bartram 45:37, 124. Janie Sammons 45:59, 125. Kelsey Ferrell 46:23, 126. Janet Castle 46:24, 127. Carol Perry 49:00, 128. Haylee Winters 50:26, 129. Sydney Winters 51:06, 130. Frances Peterson 57:30, 131. Dean Peterson 57:31, 132. Bryan Mattingly 58:38, 133. Anita Mattingly 58:39.