Ang, Santiago top Anvaya Cove Triathlon

Comebacking Levy Ang and Geraldine Santiago shared the spotlight in Sunday’s 3rd Anvaya Cove Invitational Triathlon held at the scenic Anvaya Cove Beach and Nature Club in Bataan. Ang skipped the first two stagings of this event for personal reasons. Out of curiosity, the 39-year-old campaigner opted to try his luck this year, not just to win, but also to check out the fine nature setting. “I really wanted to join, first because I wanted to see the beautiful scene and to get a feel of how tough the race course was, especially the bike route," said Ang. Ang clocked in at 2:05.20. He was the fastest in the bike course, achieving it in an hour, 14 minutes and 12.75 seconds. He also conquered the event’s trademark, the 3-kilometer uphill climb from the main clubhouse leading to the main gate. Elmer Santiago came in next with 2:07.55 while Rafael Ocampo placed third with 2:08.20. For the distaff side, Santiago also displayed her riding prowess all the way to winning the race in 2:28.12. Stephanie Frondoso settled for a runner-up finish with a time of 2:44.25, while Vanessa Aguirre checked in at 2:50.54 for third. It was a sweet victory for the 40-year-old entrepreneur Santiago, a win that somehow erased the stigma of the debacle she experienced in 2008 when she didn’t finish the race because of a foot injury. A record field of 156 trathletes led by businessman/sportsman Fernando Zobel de Ayala joined the event. “We’re very happy with the huge turnout this year. It goes to show that triathlon is not just a serious sport, but also fun and entertaining among friends and families," said Laurent Lamasuta, head of management group of ACBNC. Aside from gaining its biggest number of participants, the event also attracted competitors from Hong Kong and Chinese Taipei. Also winning were Emma and Donato Antonio Pangilinan, siblings of television personalities Maricel and Anthony Pangilinan, who lorded over the Super Tri-Kids female 13 to 15 and male 11-12, respectively. The Altura family composed of Albert, Monica and Marc Alexander also showed their stuff as they emerged as champions in the first-ever relay team race. - KY, RCJ, GMANews.TV