Smith takes tape, rookies take plunge

Nothing seems to be able to slow Stuart Smith down, as last week’s inaugural Saipan Marathon winner took the tape once again during the Northern Mariana Islands Triathlon Federation’s second qualifying race for the 2006 Micronesian Games.

Choppy seas and brisk winds failed to keep the speedy Smith from racing ahead of the pack from start to finish as he was the pilot fish in the swim (13:58), the leader of the pack on the 40-kilometer bike course (1:07:18 bike), and was the frontrunner (38:39) on the 10-km run course to blaze the only sub-two hour time at 1:59:55 overall.

Rough sea conditions precluded race organizers from planting race buoys on the course so they improvised by starting at the coral head near the beach and circling at the swimming dock behind the Hotel Nikko. The qualifiers made two laps around the circuit for a total of 960m while the Sprint and Enticer racers went once around the block for a 480m wade in the choppy water.

Longtime favorite of the multi-sport scene Dirk Sharer was the second overall finisher thanks to a consistent effort all around the course. Sharer was the third out of the water at 15:31, and improved his position when he passed Tyce Mister on the bike course (1:13:03) before ending his morning with the third best run time (48:07) to take the top qualifying time among those eligible for the 2006 Micronesian Games at 2:16:41.

Mister also has a solid day in his return to the racing scene that started out with the second best swim time (15:13) followed by a 1:17:18 bike and a 48:56 run to take third overall at 2:21:25.

Butch Sublemente took the third best time among the eligible qualifiers for the Games with a combined time of 2:23:04. After lagging in the lagoon with a 20:44 swim, Sublemente hammered on the bike course to finish with the third best bike time (1:15:11) bike, and trailed only Smith on the run time after a remarkable 47:59 time.

Newcomer Ronald Villafria managed a fifth place finish on the day, followed by fellow rookie Lewie Tenorio in sixth at 2:31:20 overall. Florian Braig was close by at 2:36:46, and the bionic Tom Austin crossed the line at 2:44:51.

Both Tenorio and Austin’s accomplishments were even more special because it was their first full-distance race. Natasha Good had the same experience on the women’s side as the Saipan Swim Club star finished the circuit in 3:10:26 to take the top female qualifying slot on the day. Good was strong all the way around as she fourth out of the water with a time of 15:55 on the swim, while pedaling her way to a 1:40:24 time on the bike, and finished the race with a 1:15:07 10km run.

Race organizer Sue Knecht had plenty on her plate as she also opted to challenge the circuit. After two laps in the water yielded a time of 19:13 on the swim, Knecht braved three flats and an additional equipment malfunction to knock out a respectable 1:44:02 on the bike. Rather than dwell on her frustrations from the wheeled section, Knecht took off for a strong finish on the 10km run (1:14:52) to cross the line at 3:18:07 overall.

The NMITF always encourages teams to join the individuals on the course, and Saturday’s event was no different as the trio of Pam Thorpe, Gayle Berger, and Brenda Schultz completed the full length course in a combined time of 3:02:13.

The “Thorpe-do” finished the swim in 19:16, while Berger biked a 1:38:24, and Schultz ran a 1:04:43 time on the 10km course.

While the specifics are yet to be released, the NMITF organizers announced that their next race will take mountain bike riders on a bumpy journey during the 2nd Annual Down and Dirty Mountain Bike Race on Feb. 18. The next generation of racers will get another dose of adventure a week earlier as the Kids Tryathlon series continues on Feb. 11.