Nicole Eijansantos by Claire Catado Cebu Daily News
LAPU-LAPU CITY—Nicole Danielle Eijansantos of Team TriMac cut loose in the foot race while Yuan Chiongbian set the pace throughout to rule the Alaska Ironkids Triathlon yesterday.
Tentative in the swim leg, the 14-year-old Eijansantos found her rhythm in the bike stage before pulling away for good in the final run phase to beat former champion Samantha Borlain in 47 minutes and two seconds in the girls’ 13-14 age bracket.
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Borlain, last year’s winner in the 11-12 years category, came out of the water way ahead of Eijansantos before fading in the final stretch of the 400-meter swim, 12-kilometer bike and three-km run contest that began and ended at the posh Shangri-La Mactan Hotel.
“I train hard every day and just came out to do my best,” said Eijansantos, a top prospect for the national team who also won in the same event early this year in Subic.
Borlain crossed the line in 49:52.6 and Sam Macinnes wound up third (50:05.6).
Chiongbian, fresh from a recent victory in the age group of the 2015 Singapore Triathlon, clocked 42:50.6 to run away with the boy’s 13-14 title.
Lucian Antonio Alejo placed second in 45:51 after trailing Chiongbian all the way. John Caleb Barlin checked in third (45:53.3).
Expected to prevail in the 11-12 group, Juan Francisco Baniqued and Tara Borlain didn’t disappoint as they completed the 300-m swim, 9-km bike, 2-km run practically unchallenged.
Baniqued added the Cebu edition to his growing list of victories after the 12-year-old from San Pedro, Laguna, clocked 33:54.6 set up by a strong kick-off in the swim.
Trailing by almost two minutes out of the water, Bernard Miguel Sy tried but failed to overcome the deficit in the next two legs and placed second (36:31). Victor Andrew Boherom chased Sy in the run sequence but finished third, two seconds behind the second placer.