Gardner, Bucher win PIC Double

United Kingdom’s Sam Gardner and Switzerland’s Renata Bucher earned a return trip to Saipan for next year’s Sports Fest after winning the PIC Double Saturday.

The PIC Double titles in the men’s and women’s divisions are given to participants with the best combined time for the XTERRA Saipan Championship and Tagaman Triathlon. They get a free airfare and accommodations at Pacific Islands Club in the two-weekend triathlon festivities.

Gardner ruled the Crown Jewel of XTERRA Series, posting a time of two hours, 34 minutes, and 32 seconds two weeks ago. The U.K. triathlete finished second only to Japanese Masauki Matsumaru in the 20th Tagaman Triathlon last Saturday, but Gardner’s time of 3:02:03 against the latter’s 2:59:41, was enough to give him the PIC Double win.

Gardner had a combined time of 5:36:35, 15 minutes ahead of last year’s PIC Double winner Andrew Noble (5:51:30) of Australia.

Noble, who arrived on Saipan only a day before XTERRA was only fourth in the trail race and third in Tagaman to finish second overall in PIC Double.

Jim McConnel of the U.K. was third with his combined time of 6:09:15. McConnel placed sixth (2:52:34) in XTERRA Saipan Championship and fifth (3:11:41) in Tagaman.

New Jersey-based Filipino triathlete Arland Macasieb ranked fourth in the PIC Double with a total time of 6:49:01. Macasieb had a slow start in the two-weekend Sports Fest, as he finished only 17th (3:37:30) in XTERRA Saipan. But he redeemed himself in the Tagaman, coming in at fourth place with a time of 3:11:31.

Completing the Top 5 in PIC Double was Saipan’s Tyce Mister, who logged a total time of 7:29:23. Mister was the first Saipan male triathlete to cross the finish line in Tagaman, clocking in at 3:45:50 and second to Butch Sublemente in XTERRA Saipan after recording 3:43:33. Sublemente timed in at 3:32:06.

In the women’s division, Bucher completed a sweep, tallying a total time of 6:24:35. She clocked in at 2:56:55 in XTERRA and 3:28:18 in Tagaman for about an hour-lead over second placer and Saipan bet Mieko Carey.

Carey timed in at 3:43:33 in XTERRA Saipan, as she slowed down midway in the bike and in the run legs after a bike crash at Mt. Tapochao. She raced in Tagaman with broken ribs and still finished second with a time of 3:32:58 for a total time of 7:17:14.

Another Saipan bet made it to the Top 3 with Kimiko Hasegawa submitting a total time of 8:53:37. Hasegawa posted 4:33:01 in XTERRA and 4:20:36 in Tagaman.

Twenty triathletes completed the PIC Double. The list included Saipan’s Lewie Tenorio (7:36:46), Florian Braig (7:57:10), Kevin Carey (8:09:07), Jose Ngiraibuuch (8:21:37), Nate Hawley (8:16:08), Federico Fernandez (8:43:06), Quincy Johnson (8:25:50), Manny Sitchon (9:37:34), and Brad Ruszala (9:14:10), Tinian’s Joshua Manglona (9:18:17), Australia’s Allan Collinson (9:11:12), and Spain’s Albert Anton (8:20:02).