Winners Announced in Foot Mechanics Memorial Day Main Street Mile Race

Winners have been announced from 2011 Foot Mechanics Memorial Day Main Street Mile that included more than 300 runners sprinting along Main Street in downtown St. Charles on Monday.

The overall winner for men was elite runner Lukas Verzbicas, 18, of Orland Park, with a time of 3:59. Verzbicas, also an elite triathlete, won the National 3A cross-country title in 2010 and 2009 and was named Gatorade National Cross-Country Runner of the year both seasons.

Get St. Charles news through your favorite social media. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

The overall winner for women was elite runner Mason Cathey, 29, of Indianapolis, with a time of 4:37.

Kevin McDowell, 18, a 2011 Geneva High School graduate, received the “Lexi” award, also known as the Foot Mechanics Mile Soul Surfer Award. The award was inspired by and named for 2011 Wheaton Academy graduate and St. Charles resident Lexi Youngberg, 18, who returned to competitive sports after a lower-leg amputation resulting from a boating accident.

McDowell, who ran despite his ongoing battle with Hodgkin's lymphoma, placed fourth among males ages 15-19, with a time of 4:27. He also was a silver medalist at the inaugural Youth Olympic Games in Singapore and bronze medalist at the World Junior Championships in Budapest. In March, he debuted on the professional triathlon circuit.

Following are winners in other categories:

• Runners from Batavia High School won the Colonial Challenge award for the fastest high school team.

• Elena Shemyakina, 52, of Geneva, won the Zimmerman Ford Fastest Miler award with a time of 5:29. This award goes to the fastest runner computed by formula based on an age- and gender-graded field.

• Jim Webb Jr., Jay Bastian and Lynton Karfor and their pets all won Top Dogs awards.

For full race results, click here.

*Information provided by Jen Banowetz.