Cebu City rules swimming event

DUMAGUETE CITY, Philippines - Save for the secondary girls category, the Cebu City Niños dominated all fronts in swimming event to stretch their lead by a mile after Day 3 of the 2010 Central Visayas Regional Athletic Association (CVIRAA) Meet yesterday here at the Lorenzo G. Teves Memorial Aquatic Centre.

The outstanding exploits of its tankers further pushed Cebu City to the top of the overall standings with 47 gold, 29 silver and 14 bronze medals. Cebu Province, though lagging far behind, still has something to cheer for as its athlete Joseph Vinan set a new meet record in javelin throw with a distance of 44.8m, breaking the old mark of 40.57m set by Michael John Pable also of Cebu Province.

“I had great confidence with my athletes because they exerted so much effort to achieve our goals in the regional meet. Now that we were able to succeed, we will try our very best to help Central Visayas in the Palarong Pambansa,” said an ecstatic Niños swim coach Rolando Alvarez.

Michael Ichiro Kong shone the brightest among Cebu City's pool stars after striking triple golds in the elementary boys 50m, 100m and 200m butterfly.

Tristan Kirk Ebon topped the 100m freestyle, while Lyh Ann Navarro added two more golds in 100m butterfly and in the 100m freestyle. Navarro's teammate Razel Cabajar had a golden finish in both 50m butterfly and freestyle.

Ebon, Ichiro, Antonne Villahermosa and Matthew Angelo Caneda also stamped their class in the 4x50m freestyle relay, in the same way with their girls counterparts in Navarro, Cabajar, Madelin Capacio and Karen Mae Indaya.

In the secondary boys, Keith Ocampo and John Beltran made their presence felt in the 800m and 100m freestyle events, respectively.

Ocampo, Anthony Linn Navarro, Cynth June Goden and Lester Tungala also succeeded in claiming the title in the 4x100m medley relay as well as Tungala, Edgar Allan Jarina, Myles Chi and John Beltran in the 4x50m freesyle relay.

In athletics at the Gov. Mariano Perdices Memorial Sports Coliseum, Roy Villahermosa claimed two golds for Cebu City through the secondary boys 110m and 400m hurdles.

After lording it over in high jump, Jersell Cabatino bagged the triple jump gold with a distance of 13.55m.

In the distaff side, Abegail Flores and Cresha May Ygot shared one gold apiece. Flores dominated the 100m hurdles, while Ygot ruled the 400m hurdles.

Vlessica Jagna fell short in her gold medal bid in the 3,000m run after clocking in 11 minutes and 52.92 seconds, far behind from the first placer Jessica Balunan of Bohol in 11:45.88.

In taekwondo, the Cebu City jins secured three golds in the elementary girls class courtesy of Veronica Garces, Marie Hanz Therese Espina and Micah Marie Mission, while the boys produced two gilts courtesy of John Kim Lapas and Charles David Labiste.

The other gold medallists of the day for the Niños were gymnast Jimi Campomanes, who hauled three golds in the floor, vault and individual all-around of the Men's Artistic Gymnastics (MAG), and archer Nico Garcia in the 60-meter class.

Over at the Lamberto Macias Sports Complex, the Paref Springdale-powered Niños advanced into the semifinals undefeated in the secondary boys division after crushing, 64-30. Their younger comrades manned Don Bosco Technological Center were not as lucky though as they bowed to the Sacred Heart Schol-Ateneo de Cebu representing Mandaue City.

In tennis, Bright Academy's Jana Pages of TCC booked a championship ticket in the elementary girls singles after overpowering Cebu Province, 8-6, at the Praxevilla tennis courts.

In the secondary division, the decorated Sally Mae Siso of the University of San Carlos and Dan Eldred Cinco of the University of San Jose-Recoletos also marched into the finals with convincing wins over their respective foes.

The Cebu City booters powered by Don Bosco are also on a sizzling run, claiming host Dumaguete as their latest victim, 4-1. – THE FREEMAN