By Roselyn B. Monroyo
Variety News Staff

TEAM Laffy ruled the team event while Ironman Stuart Smith topped the soloist division anew in the 2006 Annual Christmas Island Relay held last Saturday.
Team Laffy, which was composed of Champ Untalan, Jacque Wonenberg, Reylynn Sapong, Chris Sanros and Matthew Mancao, finished the 13.7-mile race in one hour, 31 minutes, 39 seconds.
The race started in the Pacific Island Club’s southern parking lot in San Antonio and ended at the Last Command Post in Marpi.
Three runners from each team ran three miles, while the two others covered 2.7 and 2 miles. The five runners ran alternately after each mile.
Team Laffy’s time erased the 1:32:18 Smith recorded in the soloist division last year.
Smith timed in at 1:33:11 in this year’s men’s soloist division, but he still won the event beating six other runners.
Jack Gabriel placed second with a time of 1:42:06, followed by last year’s runnerup Yoshi Suzuki (1:45:59), Chang Whan Jang (1:57:09), Lewie Tenorio (1:57:24), Tamio Nishikido (1:50:04) and Max Simian (2:15:09).
In the women’s soloist division, Micronesian Games gold medallist Noriko Jim finished on top of her field with a time of 1:48:59.
Finishing second was Maimi Shimizu (2:05:07), followed by Mamiko Oshima (2:05:58), Monica Yamaguchi (2:07:57) and Rachel Bandelin (2:15:10).
Five more teams joined the team event in the Northern Marianas Athletics-organized tournament.
Placing second was Team Taffy of Nate Mateo, Lia Rangamar, Allen Moses, Frank Dillay and Vince Teregeyo. They timed in at 1:35:10.
Nicole LeBlanc, Paul Anthony, Dawn Hammermeister, Manny Sitchon and Cesar Fortaza of Withering Wanderers placed third after clocking 1:45:56.
The Drooling Stones of Joshua Berger, Fred Camacho, Julie Newman, Florian Briag and Wolf Mojica were ranked fourth with a time of 1:55:58.
The News Makers, who were composed of Brad Ruszala, Ferdie Dela Torre, Shan Seman, James Lee and Agnes Donate placed fifth (1:57:57).
In sixth place were Kimiko Hasegawa, Ryan Carpenter, Heather Zames and Sabrina Aguon of Team PIC (1:64:53).