Visayas hauls golds in athletics, swimming

LINGAYEN, PANGASINAN, Philippines  — 12-year-old thrower Shanelle Siasoyco delivered the first gold of Team Visayas via shot put event in athletics competition of the 3rd Milo Little Olympics (MLO) National Finals at the Narciso Ramos Sports and Civic Center here.

Siasoyco of Sacred Heart School- Ateneo de Cebu (SHS-AdC) lorded it over in elementary girls shot put after heaving the iron ball to a distance of 7.65 meters.

“It felt overwhelming because it’s my first time here in Milo Little Olympics and I got the first gold of Visayas," said Siasoyco, who is not just an ordinary athlete as she is an honor student and a student leader in her school.

Curiously, Siasoyco once played football and volleyball.

“She shifted from team to individual event because she realized that in the individual event, she could not blame any other person except herself in case she will lose,” said Siasoyco’s father Benjie.

“She’s well-driven. We supported her because I believe that once a child is involved in sports, she will have a well-rounded personality. And we can clearly see those improvements in her. I want to disprove my father’s mentality, that sports interferes studies,” he added.

Few minutes after Siasoyco’s golden finish, Team Bisdaks snared another gold courtesy of Mary Angeline Treyes of Cebu Institute of Technology-University (CIT-U) in long jump event with a distance of 4.27 meters.

Roy Villahermosa and Kenneth Monzon handed over two more folds. Villahermosa reigned supreme in the 110m hurdles, while Monzon dominated the century dash with the time of 11.63 seconds.

Swimming

The Visayas tankers soared high with five golds during Day 1 of the swimming competition at the Central Elementary School in San Carlos City.

In elementary girls division, the Bisdaks hauled three golds, one of which was courtesy of Annita Monterola in the 50m breaststroke. Monterola along with Leanne Mancera, Lyh Ann Navarro and Karen Mae Indaya clinched two gilts in the 4x50m and 4x100m medley relay.

The other two golds came from Micahel Ichiro Kong in the secondary boys 200m butterfly and Patrick Birad in the elementary boys 50m butterfly. (FREEMAN)