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Guam to offer challenge to local triathletes
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Posted on Jan 24 2006
While the Saipan-based Northern Mariana Islands Triathlon Federation will hold its second qualifying race for the 2006 Micronesian Games this weekend off the shores and on the roads of Marpi, their rivals to the south have been working just as hard to put their top triathletes together for a run in the multi-sport medal as well.
According to Guam Triathlon Federation secretary general Mark Cruz, the southernmost link in the Marianas chain will have a number of familiar faces in the local races this summer.
Jude Baker, Julian Cooper-Nurse, and youngster Keenan Tydingco have secured the rights to represent the Guamanian delegation when it comes to Saipan in July, and Robbie Cabreza will step in as an alternate should any of them suffer injury, illness, or fail to meet their obligation to the team.
Both Baker and Tydingco took their respective age group titles in last year’s Tagaman Triathlon, as Baker edged local endurance aficionado Stephan Samoyloff in the 35-39 year old division by more than a minute with a 3:27:05 finish, and Tydingco blew the 24-and-under crowd with a 3:44:33.
Cooper-Nurse is no stranger to Saipan either, as the multi-sport maven posted top finishes in each of the last two XTERRA Saipan Championships as a member of the GTF Dirt Division.
Baker won the first of the two races in Guam and Tydingco took the top spot in the second race while Cooper-Nurse consistently placed second in each of his outings. Cabreza was unable to finish the second race, but was able to land a spot on the team as an alternate with his third place performance in the first event.
The race for the females has not yet been decided, but Tara Tydingco is a clear frontrunner with a pair of first place finishes in each of the two qualifiers, while Dana Nickerson was close at hand with back-to-back second place finishes.
