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Sublemente wants to turn pro
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Posted on Sep 15 2011
XTERRA World Championship-bound Butch Sublemente will be submitting his pro application when he gets to Maui, Hawaii next month.
“I want to compete as a pro next year and hopefully my application will be granted,” said Sublemente, who is one of the only two athletes from the CNMI competing in the 2011 XTERRA World Championships at the Kapalua Resort on Oct. 23. The other is Saipan pro Mieko Carey.
The USA Triathlon is the governing body in the sport awarding pro license and has several requirements for triathletes aiming to turn pro. One of them is to finish in the Top 10 and within 10 percent of the overall winner’s time, according to gender, in at least three USAT sanctioned events (on road or off road events) that took place in the past 12 months and had at least 200 participants.
In the past XTERRA Saipan Championships races, Sublemente has been topping his age group. Early this year, he was the first male finisher from the CNMI, completing the race in 3:32:21. The 39-year-old triathlete was No. 8 overall among around 50 finishers and the lone non-pro in the Top 8. Sublemente finished ahead of pros from Japan, England, the U.S., and Brazil.
With his first place finish in the 35 to 39 age group of last year’s XTERRA Saipan Championship, Sublemente earned a slot to XTERRA World.
“I am excited to join XTERRA World and will do my best to have a good race in Hawaii. I’ve been training for the past few months and I am in top shape. Hopefully, I and Mieko will have a great race in Maui,” Sublemente said.
Besides his regular swims, rides, and runs, Sublemente joins local events to prepare for the off-road race in Maui. Last week, he competed in the 6th Annual POWERade Banzai Memorial Off-Road Half Marathon and placed second overall with a time of 1:39:17. This weekend, he is expected to participate in the SIS 5K Fun Run and Mieko’s fundraising race.
Meanwhile, the CNMI triathlete also thanked members of both the sports and business communities on Saipan for supporting the fundraising events for his XTERRA World trip.
