Willie Schefer, who moved to Kihei from New York earlier this month, won the Xterra Duke's Beach House Kapalua 10K Trail Run on Saturday, and Christine Schleifer of Germany took the female championship for the second time.
Seabury Hall junior Dakota Grossman won the Hula Grill 5K female title for the third time, a day after claiming her third consecutive state high school cross country crown on the Big Island, and Benjamin Auerbach of Lahaina was the top overall 5K finisher.
Schefer covered the 10K course, which began and ended at The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua and took runners into the West Maui mountains and onto D.T. Fleming Beach, in 37 minutes, 4 seconds.
Article Photos
Willie Schefer crosses the Xterra Duke’s Beach House Kapalua 10K Trail Run finish line at The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua on Saturday, winning the race in 37 minutes, 4 seconds.
XTERRA photo
"Seeing the views and looking at the water, that was awesome," Schefer said. "Definitely takes away from the pain of the race."
Three-time defending champion Nick Walker of Victoria, British Columbia, was second in 37:59.
Schefer, who ran track and cross country at the University of Miami, was competing in a trail run for the first time.
Fact Box
XTERRA TRAIL RUNS
Saturday's Results
Starting and ending at The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua
10K
Male-1. Willie Schefer, Kihei, 37:04; 2. Nick Walker, Victoria, British Columbia, 37:59; 3. Derick Williamson, Austin, Texas, 39:07; 4. Pablo Ureta, Huerta Grande, Argentina, 40:13; 5. Matt Holton, Kula, 40:42.
Female-1. Christine Schleifer, Muehlacker, Germany, 41:46; 2. Flo Dannah, Bristol, England, 43:54; 3. Azucena Lara, Tarragona, Spain, 47:01; 4. Ruth Brito, Kailua-Kona, 48:12; 5. Natacha Lacorde, Laplanck, France, 50:54.
5K
Male-1. Benjamin Auerbach, Lahaina, 19:40; 2. Jake Jacobs, Maui, 20:42; 3. Kai Iinuma-Nakaaki, Maka-wao, 21:27; 4. Kekoa Hunt, Haiku, 22:06; 5. Alexander Fahland, Maka-wao, 22:11.
Female-1. Dakota Grossman, Haiku, 21:43; 2. Ava Shipman, Maka-wao,, 24:40; 3. La Kelly, Sedona, Ariz., 24:41; 4. Elizabeth Campos, Kahului, 25:06; 5. Megan Forbes, Boulder, Colo., 25:15.
"I just wanted to have a fun time and give it my best," he said. "I went out really quick, and I tried staying with the lead guy Nick. I felt really good on the halfway point so I took off and it worked out for me."
Schleifer was sixth overall in 41:46. She also won the last time she entered the 10K - two years ago, when the event was held in South Maui.
"The old course was a long uphill section and then a long downhill," she said. "I think that suits me a bit better than this course here. Here, it's a lot of curves and up and down and up and down. You can't relax. I think this one is tougher."
Flo Dannah of Bristol, England, was the second female finisher, in 43:54.
Grossman won the 5K in 21:43, adding to the titles she earned in 2007 and 2008. On Saturday, she finished 2:57 ahead of the runner-up, Ava Shipman of Makawao.
Auerbach won in 19:40, and King Kekaulike sophomore Jake Jacobs took second place in 20:42.
The events were held in conjunction with the Xterra Off-Road Triathlon world championships, scheduled for today in West Maui.
