GSPN

IIJIMA 1ST OVERALL FINISHER IN 2017 GUAM NATIONAL TRIATHLON CHAMPIONSHIPS

by
GSPN
July 23, 2017

By Robert Balajadia

The overall winner for the 2017 Guam National Triathlon Championships was a more than familiar face as Guam’s star athlete Manami Iijima crossed the finish line at 2:18:01. Iijima was the first solo-competitor out of the water during her 1.5km swim, first to finish her 40km bike ride, and first to wrap up her 10km run with only two relay teams ahead of her.

“I wasn’t having the best day, but I just told myself to do my best and this is what I have to give. The water was fun, even though I don’t usually enjoy the swim, I’d say that was the best part,” said the swimmer turned triathlete Manami.

Iijima was surprised at the turn point of her 10k with the competitors tasked to run an extra 100m up ‘Jesus Hill’ which, after the 1.5km swim and 40km bike ride, would feel like torture. But competing on Guam has its benefits for the traveling triathlete star.

1st overall finisher Manami Iijima – 2:18:01

“It’s always fun competing here because everyone knows me and I know everyone so people always cheer each other on. It was great to have my training partner Laura [Nadeau] out there pushing me as well,” said Manami.

Following Iijima was training partner Nadeau at 2:20:04 to secure the 2nd overall finisher spot as they hope to replicate their success in Chattanooga later this September in Tennessee’s Annual 2017 Ironman event.

The first male finisher Shin Miyagi coming in at 2:23:01. The veteran competitor Miyagi did face a tough obstacle during his run that slowed him down.

“The run was brutal. I started to cramp after the first lap and I just knew I wasn’t going to finish strong. I did a lot of short distance workouts to prepare for this, but you just can’t get used to the heat; today was crazy hot.” said Miyagi.

Guam’s professional athlete Mieko Carey stormed in as the 3rd female finisher, 4th overall, with a 2:28:04 to almost secure a clean sweep of top female finishers, which would have been an event first.

Rose Munoz and Art Guerrero were awarded the newest Guam National Triathlon Champions.

Another familiar face competing was runner Ryan Matienzo, who only participated in the bike and run portion of the race as he plans to eventually ease into the swimming portion.

“I’m still years away from competing in the swimming portion. I’m still trying to incorporate biking then running because I was two minutes behind in my run!,” added Matienzo.

PHOTO GALLERY BROUGHT TO YOU BY:

: 1st overall Male Finisher – Shin Miyagi

RESULTS

1.	219	Team Just Here For The Beer	02:04:32.8	00:00:00.0	MALE TEAM
2.	221	Team Organized Chaos	02:15:33.9	00:11:01.1	MALE TEAM
3.	1	Manami Iijima	02:18:01.6	00:13:28.8	Female 18-29
4.	216	Team Asian Warrior	02:19:08.5	00:14:35.7	MALE TEAM
5.	10	Laura Nadeau	02:20:39.8	00:16:07.0	Female 30-39
6.	31	Shin Miyagi	02:22:59.9	00:18:27.1	Male 30-39
7.	13	Mieko Carey	02:28:04.4	00:23:31.6	Female 30-39
8.	200	Team Bing Bong	02:29:14.4	00:24:41.6	CO-ED TEAM
9.	215	Team Apo Roque #2017	02:31:08.6	00:26:35.8	MALE TEAM
10.	9	Jayme Bograd	02:31:49.2	00:27:16.4	Female 30-39
11.	22	Carlo Baguyo	02:33:53.9	00:29:21.1	Male 18-29
12.	24	Sean Kitchen	02:34:00.2	00:29:27.4	Male 18-29
13.	42	Art Guerrero	02:35:29.5	00:30:56.7	Male 50-59
14.	20	Taiga Sato	02:36:43.5	00:32:10.7	Male 1-17
15.	30	Christopher Nadeau	02:42:11.7	00:37:38.9	Male 30-39
16.	39	Cameron Oneal	02:44:18.7	00:39:45.9	Male 40-49
17.	35	Arnold Gimoto	02:44:21.4	00:39:48.6	Male 40-49
18.	8	Rose Munoz	02:46:13.7	00:41:40.9	Female 30-39
19.	29	Erik Boyd	02:47:51.6	00:43:18.8	Male 30-39
20.	209	Team T-Soldiers	02:47:56.0	00:43:23.2	CO-ED TEAM
21.	38	Rudy Palencia	02:48:55.8	00:44:23.0	Male 40-49
22.	6	Kristi Woesner	02:49:40.8	00:45:08.0	Female 30-39
23.	36	James Sardea	02:51:39.3	00:47:06.5	Male 40-49
24.	27	Steve Camacho	02:53:22.4	00:48:49.6	Male 30-39
25.	32	Chun Wei Huang	02:53:51.1	00:49:18.3	Male 40-49
26.	41	Alex Oviedo	02:54:10.2	00:49:37.4	Male 50-59
27.	26	Thomas Starnes	02:56:30.9	00:51:58.1	Male 30-39
28.	3	Sarah Fyda	02:57:30.6	00:52:57.8	Female 18-29
29.	217	Team Coconuts & Kiwis	02:57:51.0	00:53:18.2	MALE TEAM
30.	44	Kilhak Kunimoto	02:58:11.8	00:53:39.0	Male 60+
31.	5	Jennifer Camacho	02:58:56.6	00:54:23.8	Female 30-39
32.	204	Team Hsc25	03:00:19.5	00:55:46.7	CO-ED TEAM
33.	40	Bong Mojas	03:00:38.3	00:56:05.5	Male 50-59
34.	2	Ryan Corrigan	03:01:20.3	00:56:47.5	Female 18-29
35.	222	Team Tri Fan Juan	03:01:24.4	00:56:51.6	MALE TEAM
36.	220	Team Just To Try	03:03:39.9	00:59:07.1	MALE TEAM
37.	210	Team Team Stephanie	03:03:53.7	00:59:20.9	CO-ED TEAM
38.	203	Team Gym Class Heroes	03:05:20.0	01:00:47.2	CO-ED TEAM
39.	211	Team Tri Fan… Again	03:08:03.2	01:03:30.4	CO-ED TEAM
40.	17	Mo-Ping Tham	03:09:51.8	01:05:19.0	Female 40-49
41.	207	Team Splash Flash Dash 1	03:10:45.1	01:06:12.3	CO-ED TEAM
42.	223	Team Tri Fan Too	03:11:04.8	01:06:32.0	MALE TEAM
43.	12	Ann Marie Gawel	03:11:13.4	01:06:40.6	Female 30-39
44.	33	Allen Kim	03:11:36.3	01:07:03.5	Male 40-49
45.	212	Team Last Hoorah	03:12:49.7	01:08:16.9	FEMALE TEAM
46.	14	Noelani Yano	03:13:17.3	01:08:44.5	Female 40-49
47.	213	Team Tresbonitas2tri	03:15:02.2	01:10:29.4	FEMALE TEAM
48.	11	Lani Sablan	03:15:49.5	01:11:16.7	Female 30-39
49.	202	Team Fun And Fitness	03:16:47.8	01:12:15.0	CO-ED TEAM
50.	19	Michelle Santos	03:17:56.1	01:13:23.3	Female 50-59
51.	206	Team Lets Tri	03:18:51.1	01:14:18.3	CO-ED TEAM
52.	205	Team Ka-Chow!	03:21:05.6	01:16:32.8	CO-ED TEAM
53.	43	Tom Higa	03:22:06.4	01:17:33.6	Male 60+
54.	201	Team Fn T&a	03:22:17.7	01:17:44.9	CO-ED TEAM
55.	45	Bobby Brown	03:23:41.9	01:19:09.1	Male 18-29
56.	7	Christina Kidd	03:23:46.0	01:19:13.2	Female 30-39
57.	208	Team Splash, Flash, Dash 2	03:23:57.2	01:19:24.4	CO-ED TEAM
58.	18	Stephanie Jones	03:26:44.3	01:22:11.5	Female 50-59
59.	34	Robert Lopez	03:27:26.2	01:22:53.4	Male 40-49
60.	218	Team Die Tri-Ing	03:28:51.2	01:24:18.4	MALE TEAM
61.	16	Lisa Jones	03:30:25.4	01:25:52.6	Female 40-49
62.	214	Team Tri Again	03:33:30.5	01:28:57.7	FEMALE TEAM
63.	4	Nicole Cruz	03:37:48.6	01:33:15.8	Female 18-29
64.	37	Jesse Tainatongo	03:45:18.4	01:40:45.6	Male 40-49
65.	21	Kevin Tainatongo	03:45:25.5	01:40:52.7	Male 18-29
66.	28	Josh Tyquiengco	03:49:51.1	01:45:18.3	Male 30-39
67.	46	Caroline Sablan	03:51:39.6	01:47:06.8	Female 50-59
68.	15	Melanie Torre	03:57:19.1	01:52:46.3	Female 40-49
69.	23	Eric Weil	04:02:58.9	01:58:26.1	Male 18-29