Huelgas tops offroad aquathlon challenge

MANILA, Philippines - Nikko Huelgas of the De La Salle University swimming team topped the offroad Camaya Coast Aquathlon Challenge in Mariveles, Bataan to move closer to earning a spot in the national triathlon squad. Huelgas swept the 2009 SPEEDO Aquathlon series with this recent victory. He also won the first two legs of the series held at the Philsports in Pasig and at the Ayala Alabang in Muntinlupa, showing that he is ready to be part of the national team. The offroad event was the most difficult of the three events with its 3.5 kilometer trail run-1.5K swim-3.5K trail run that include a beach run and a forest trail that crosses three rivers with a moving bamboo bridge. Huelgas finished the course with a time of 1:07.31 while Pol Villanueva landed second with a time of 1:14.28 and third was Tony Welsh who clocked 1:18.22. JC Pineda, sec-gen of the newly -formed Philippine Skyrunning Association ( PSA ), topped the women's category, clocking in at 1:44.36, while PSA president Nina Dacanay submitted a 1:50.36 clocking that is good for second spot. Janice Tanada came in third with a time of 2:03.54. Sweeping the 10K trail run were PSA runners Isidro Vildosola, Tommy Tan, and Bet Camangonan. The top female finishers were Team Herbalife's Joan Pallones, 1:29.20, Jihan Zillah Osorio, 1:43.35, and Cathy Daza, 1:57.24. –GMANews.TV