Vilog, Mendoza rule triathlon, duathlon events

National champions George Vilog and Ryan Mendoza emerged as the stars in Laguna’s multi-sports week-end as they ruled the triathlon and duathlon events, respectively.

It was the sprint triathlon however which provided the excitement as Vilog, raring to prove himself again after being dropped from the national team for disciplinary reasons a few months ago, engineered a come-from-behind victory over promising 16-year-old Emmanuel Quilala, catching up with the latter only in the final 3K run after trailing in both the initial 800-meter swim and 20K bike legs of the TRAP- sanctioned event.

"Hindi ko alam na may nauna pala sa amin, parang di namin siya nadaanan, inabot ko lang siya sa last 400 meters ng final run, nag-sprint pa ako sa huli dahil humabol pa siya," said the 28-year-old Vilog who clocked 59:56.

Third place in the event sponsored by Gov. Ningning Lazaro and the provincial government of Laguna went to another veteran triathlete Mark Candelaria (1:00.46 ).

In the distaff side, a trio of teen age triathletes led by last year’s Asian Aquathlon champion Josephine Pilapil, dominated the field. Pilapil, 17, beat national teammate Mimi Lucas, 14 , for the crown, clocking 1:06.38 to Lucas’s 1:07.55 while 15-year-old Janele Lynn took third place in 1:21.03.

The triathlon event of the multi-sports weekend, also supported by Speedo and the Balfour Beatty Cleveland Jr. , attracted 48 entries, mostly from San Pedro, Binan, and Sta. Rosa, according to local event organizer Abet Alon-alon of the San Pedro Triathlon Unified Sports Association.

Mendoza easily won the 5K run-20K bike-5K run as he took the lead practically from the start and pulled away in the bike leg en route to a solo victory in 54:23.

Defending Milo Marathon champion Lisa Yambao from UST used the duathlon event as part of her training for the marathon and despite the fact that she was just doing her second duathlon, surprised herself by easily topping the event in 1:08.03 while second placer Luisa Raterta clocked 1:14.59.

In the aquathlon event which was open only to kids 15 and under, the winners were Jerome Reluya and Angela Alon-alon (13-15), Joash Serrano and Marion Kim Mangrobang (10 -12) and Luis Torres (9 and under).