Vega, Echavez lead record-breakers as USC and UC tankers dominate CESAFI swimming competition

CEBU, Philippines - The University of San Carlos (USC) tankers copped the overall championship, even as University of Cebu’s Paula Abigail Vega also made a big splash in the 2009 Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (CESAFI) swimming competition at the Cebu City Sports Center yesterday.

Vega swept all her five events with record-breaking performances that paved her way to become the most outstanding swimmer in the tertiary devision.

After debuting in the tertiary level with a record in the 200m freestyle, the 17-year-old Vega then shattered the 400m freestyle mark with her 5:08.49 clocking and in the 400m freestyle with the time of 10:46.31, erasing the twin records established by Larrisa Ang in 2004.

With a lot of energy left, Vega broke one of the oldest meet records, the 100m freestyle set at 1:11.25 by Lejani Pacheco in 1998 with her improved 1:08.40 clocking.

Vega sealed her bid with a 1:18.71 record in the 100m backstroke, eclipsing the 1:20.26 mark etched by Clanel Celerio in 2006.

Vega’s teammate Noel Cañeda was also named as the best swimmer in the male division after collecting five golds spice up with one record in the 200m individual medley.

In the secondary level, Loren Dale Echavez of the University of San Carlos dominated the pool with five golds, but missed to duplicate Vega’s feat after failing to break one of the records in her events.

Echavez now owned the records in the 200m freestyle with a personal best time of 2:15.93, in the 400m freestyle with 4:53.95, the 100m freesyle with 1:02.11, and the 50m freestyle with 28.84 seconds. She missed though the record in the 100m butterfly set by Lynette Ang in 2000.

Echavez’s teammate shone the brightest in the secondary boys division with five golds highlighted by a record in the 100m freestle with a time of 50.6 seconds.

Jesse Arriola Jr. also had a record-breaking performance in the 1,500m free with the time of 19:15.59.

John Solon made his presence felt with a 200m freestyle record with the time of 2:14.16 and in100m freestyle with the time of 59.70 seconds.

UC’s secondary girls team now held the record in 200m and 400m medley relay as well as in the 200m freestyle relay, while the USC belles reigned in the tertiary women’s 200m freestyle relay.

Overall, USC snatched the title with 18 gold, eight silver and five bronze medals in the secondary division and an amazing 30-16-15 gold-silver-bronze medal tally in the tertiary level.

UC ended with 10-18-15 medal haul in the secondary and 10 golds, 15 silvers, and nine bronzes in the collegiate division. – THE FREEMAN