Cebu bets sizzle in nat'l dance tourney

CEBU, Philippines - The decorated Cebuano dance athletes once again made waves in a major competition via the 2009 National Dancesport Championships at the Rizal ballroom of Makati Shangri-La Hotel.

Charlea Lagaras and long-time partner Ronnie Steve Vergara led Cebu’s sizzling charge as they edged out fellow Dancesport-Team Cebu City bets Dearlie Gerodias and John Erolle Melencio to lord it over in the premiere grade A latin category. Virgianie Oyao and Jefferson Pimentel, who competed under Team Visayas, took the bronze medal.

Lagaras and Vergara clearly won the gold after ranking first in all five dances in the finals namely the samba, chachacha, rumba, paso doble and jive.

Overall, Lagaras and Vergara hauled three golds, two silvers and three bronzes underscoring their all-around brilliance.

Not to be outdone, DTCC directress Eleanor Hayco and Anselm Estillore reigned supreme in the special event 2-4D latin. Jemel Bantolo and Florencia Toreja of Team Visayas bagged the silver, while Jevany Lamela and Erwina Rosete settled for bronze.

Estillore snatched another gold, this time with partner Mae Lozada in the latin grade B. Sergio Machon and Lina Basas claimed the silver, while Reid Baradas and Ann Marie Pabillo walked away with the bronze.

In the standard grade B, Hayco salvaged only bronze with partner Lloyd Bartolini.

Ricca Alix and Renante Saldua also wound up with a bronze in the SE-2F standard, while Bjorn Torreon and Karla Fornolles got bronze in the SE-1F standard.

On the other hand, Pimentel and Oyao made sure they will go home with a gold medal by overpowering DTCC’s Wilbert Aunzo and Pearl Marie Cañeda in the latin youth A. Inoue Roi Rendon and Christy Kim Velez picked up the bronze.

Thomas Auden Ingan and events specialist Judith Eugenio of Team Visayas also stirred the crowd and got the adjudicators’ nod for the gold in the latin senior C category, while Nikko Bustillo and Precceous Rica Catalan of Team Visayas ended their quest with a silver in the standard youth A. —Caecent No-ot Magsumbol   (FREEMAN NEWS)