Saipan wins XTERRA relay
By SHAN SEMAN
Staff Reporter
Seung Gin Lee, Sean Henry, and Suzuki Yoshiharu proved that they are among the world’s toughest athletes winning the team relay category of the XTERRA Saipan Championship held last Saturday at the Micro Beach.
Lee, who has been known for his dominance in the pool, did the swimming leg for the team, and as usual, was among the fastest swimmers to complete the course.
He reached the shore faster than all but one competitor. He clocked in at an amazing 20 minutes and 37 seconds, which was a minute and 3 seconds faster than Mike Vine of Canada, who eventually won the competition.
Henry was up next for his team as he got on the bike and completed the tough biking leg in an hour, 42 minutes, and 31 seconds.
He completed the 30-kilometer course, which included a trip to Mount Tapochao. Henry made his trip back to Micro Beach, where Yoshiharu waited.
Yoshiharu, who is part of the Northern Marianas Islands Track and Field team, finished his 10-kilometer run in 59 minutes and 22 seconds.
“This ranks among the toughest competitions that I’ve ever been part of,” said Lee. “It’s just an awesome experience,” he said.
As for Yoshiharu, he plans on taking part in the upcoming Tagaman. He is also training for the Micronesian Games in Pohnpei.
Second place in the men’s relay were the team made up of Quincy Johnson, James Pitts, and Brian Smith. They completed the course in 3 hours, 29 minutes, and 56 seconds, while the team of Colin Thompson, Nathaniel Hawley, and Joshua Berger came in third as they clocked in at 3 hours, 31 minutes, and 8 seconds.
In the mixed relay category, the team of Danette Morrison, Tom Mendiola, and Pamela Dunlap were the first to cross the finish line as they clocked in at 3 hours, 29 minutes, and 50 seconds.
Second place went to the team of Elaine Kwok, Courtney Gardens, and Gayle Berger. They finished the race in 3 hours, 34 minutes, and 31 seconds.
The team of Jeremy Winkfield, Jiro Takagiwa, and Ronni Conelly took third place as they completed the course in 3 hours, 44 minutes, and 18 seconds.
