The top three male and female competitors pose at the 2017 Warsaw Optimist Triathlon. From left to right are Matt York, Tim Murray, Scott Erba, Heather Martin, Diana Schowe, Shanna Bonnell and Warsaw Breakfast Optimist Club president Tony Ciriello. (Photos by Mike Deak)

WINONA LAKE – It’s a position Scott Erba has been in before, and one that Shanna Bonnell nearly achieved last year. Erba and Bonnell claimed championships at the 2017 Warsaw Optimist Triathlon Saturday morning running from two different perspectives, but ultimately claiming the same result.

Erba, who won the race in 2016 after not having run the race in over a decade prior, came through with Saturday’s championship in an eerily similar regard. Starting outside the first wave of competitors, Erba managed to easily complete the best race despite visually finishing the race well back. His time of 1:01:30 overall from the fifth wave was far and away the top performance of the day, besting Tim Murray’s 1:03:21 and Matt York’s 1:03:59.

Davon Geiger was the first physical runner across the line at 1:04.10, but was only fourth as Erba, Murray and York snaked their way through the final 3.5 miles on foot.

The top three were in the exact same finish order in 2016.

“There’s a little bit of pressure being in my hometown and everyone here seeming to know who I am,” Erba said. “There’s always some added pressure to do well and trying to stay a little anonymous since I start outside the first wave. Coming back last year helped a little, and I was just very comfortable today.

Overall triathlon champion Scott Erba

“I know the course very well. I’ve ridden the bike course hundreds of times and I know the lake very well. My daily commute is that run. So there is a little bit of a challenge to attack that from the back, knowing there are some very fast competitors ahead of me.”

Erba, who left coaching Warsaw Community High School cross country and track last year to focus on his triathlon training, claimed his fourth Optimist Triathlon title, winning back-to-back in 2016-17 and in 2003-04. Erba plans on competing at the Triathlon National Championships in August and the Ironman Nationals in September.

Shanna Bonnell found herself in a similar position as Erba, trailing several runners in the race but holding the fastest go-round. Bonnell, who finished second at the 2016 Optimist and has run the event three times overall, was by far the top female participant with her time of 1:09:55, over eight minutes faster than former champion Diana Schowe’s 1:17:59. Heather Martin took third just two seconds behind Schowe.

Bonnell was the 16th competitor overall with her time, and less than a minute from cracking the top 12.

Bonnell noted the swim was a tad difficult, but it was actually the police which caused her the most trouble.

“I didn’t have any frustration with much, but I did on the bike course,” began Bonnell. “There was a cop car that got in from of me and kind of slowed me down a little bit. I was like ‘oh, please, just get out of the way!’ So he finally was able to get around some of the bikers and I was able to keep going. That was my only frustration on the course.”

The lone difference between Erba and Bonnell in finishing was Erba snuck through while Bonnell didn’t have a woman in sight as she stormed across the finish line.

“I felt a little pressure when I came across, I was looking around for any other women,” laughed Bonnell. “I printed off my time and it said I was second. So to be the champion, I am a little surprised.”

Bonnell will next compete at the half Ironman in Muncie in July and Age Group Nationals in August. Bonnell, a Star City, Indiana, resident, had only competed in one triathlon in 2017 coming in, run at Logansport.

The Clydesdale champion was Tim Snyder at 1:18.55 and the Athena champion was Alisha Fransted at 1:38.24. The kids overall winner was Wesley Bell at 26:45 and Adelle Schlotterback led the girls at 28:34.

The swim, bike and run event in its 24th year was put on by the Warsaw Breakfast Optimist Club.

Running the race timing this year and host of the results is It’s Your Race.