Guamanians go all out for challenge

Teams from throughout the region packed up their paddles and boarded planes in search of clear waters as the 8th Annual Micronesian Cup made its rotation to Saipan over the weekend, and the squads from Guam came to the Marianas equipped with boats as well.

While a number of teams came from Guam, none were as youthful as the girls from Animun Tasi Metgot, as Ursula (16), Briana Perez (17), Ashley Barcnas (18), Keilani Olkerill (18), Steph Gumataotao (17), and 25-year-old captain Jennice Eckert tested the local waters for the first time.

While their captain has been paddling for years, most of the squad is still relatively new to the watery world of outrigger canoe, and Eckert said that the Micro Cup was the team’s goal for the whole season.

After placing third in their first sprint race, the happy bunch of girls had plenty to say inside the holding tent, and their captain tried to sum it up.

“Awesome. We took the bronze in the 1,500m and now we’re going to try and win another one in the 500m. It’s pretty cool. There’s a lot of teams out here and everyone pretty much has a positive attitude and is friendly. It’s a good time,” said Eckert.

The spirited squad was all smiles in between the races and they shared their strategy before boarding their canoe and heading off for the women’s 500m finals.

“Whatever we have left that’s what we’re going to give out there. It’s our last race for the day and that’s it,” said Eckert.

The girls finished just two seconds behind Hong Kong Island Paddle Club’s Grape team to place fourth with a time of 3:04.00, beating out HKIPC (3:09.00) and the Guahan Flyers (3:10.58).

Their “all-out” spirit was evident in the final race during the long distance event on Sunday morning. In the midst of an 11-team pack, the youngsters gave everything they had as they paddled around Managaha before finishing in sixth place with a time of 2:06:42.24.

While they beat out half of the more experienced teams in the field, the girls may have given a bit too much as emergency responders were called to treat them for heat and dehydration related injuries.

The scene was intense as a crowd gathered to see volunteers scramble to bring them fluids and ice-cold towels. Despite drinking plenty of fluids before the event, two of the paddlers were carted away on stretchers and taken to the Commonwealth Health Center for treatment.

According to Eckert, the girls were released later the same day and will be fine, and most of the team was able to attend the awards ceremony that evening, but a couple of the girls recuperated in their hotel room.

While they got a little more than they bargained for at the finish line, the girls still hope to paddle this weekend in their home waters during when the Outrigger Guam Canoe Club plays host to the 2006 Guahan International Outrigger Invitational presented by Heineken.