Thursday, November 08, 2007 Hail the champs By Marianne Saberon-Abalayan
WITH only one hour and 15 minutes of sleep, the Davao Eagles team finished a four-day course in just three days and two nights to bag the title and surprise rivals in the just-concluded Carrera Habagat Bucas Grande-Siargao Island Traverse.
"We have proven that Davao athletes have potentials. Despite the hardship from seeking out for sponsors to the challenges of the race proper, we have proven that Dabawenyos can do it," team captain Paolo Dino Ouano said.
In bagging the title, the Eagles grabbed the cash prize of P40,000 after few attempts in the past editions of the country's toughest adventure race.
Ouano, along with Keith James Argones and logistics veteran Jeffer Jatico, finished fifth in the 2005 edition of the toughest adventure racing in the country. This year, former canoe-kayak member Leslie Herrero and Eric John Luna beefed up the team with another logistics member Arvikane Abejuela.
"I'm proud to say our teamwork was our best edge in the competition. We have a very efficient logistics team. They provided us everything we needed for the race considering that the usual seven logistic points was reduced into three," Ouano said during the victory dinner party at the Banca ni Kuya Ed Restaurant Tuesday night hosted by the Triathlon Association of Davao under its president Maritess del Rosario.
Ouano said they have already established their position on the first day after the 80-kilometer bike and banca legs and just maintained their pace.
"We didn't tire ourselves out. We walked instead of running. We reserved all our strength for the final phase," he said.
"The other teams were surprised to know that we didn't sleep. We planned to sleep on the first night but we weren't able to do so because we were so excited. On the second night, most of us have napped for 30 minutes. We thank God for the strength He provided to sustain us," 28-year-old Argones, a seaman, said.
"I think what also helped us was our good navigation and logistics," Jatico, 30, added.
Then Herrera, 18, also had this to say of their triumph: "I helped the team where I'm best at -- paddling. I paddled 20 kilometers during the entire race."
"We are the team to beat next year," Abejuela blurted out.
The team cited Maricel Sambo, who drove the Davao team to and from Siargao on her white Isuzu Crosswind. They also thanked their sponsors like Wendel Adlao of Pixmaker, Edge Outdoor, Higher Ground, Davao City councilors April Marie Dayap, Leonardo Avila III and Edgar Ibuyan, Mulatto, Triad members Justine Marie del Rosario, Bagani Evasco, Neko del Rosario, Anthea Kuehnel and Triad president Maritess del Rosario.
The team is preparing for the Mayor's Cup set on December 16.
