Milo little Olympics: UC off to hot start

CEBU, Philippines - As expected, defending champion University of Cebu (UC) Webmasters got off to a flying start in the secondary division of the 18th Milo Little Olympics Visayas Regional Finals yesterday at the Cebu City Sports Center.

UC's decorated tankers provided the spark in its golden assault on the first day of action, with Michael Ichiro Kong splashing his way to a double golden bubble in the secondary boys 200m individual medley and the 400m freestyle in record-establishing fashion at the CSCC Aquatic Center He set a new mark in the 400m freestlyle with the time of four minutes and 41.34 seconds, breaking the 17-year-old mark set by Jose Ronel Dizon at 4:44.59 in beating the latter's 4:44:59 in 1996.

Kong's teammate Karen Mae Indaya also came up with twin golds in the girls 200m IM with the time of 2:46.71 and 400m freestyle with a 5:21 clocking, while Danielle Mae Ballesteros contributed one gold in the 200m breaststroke with a time of 3:05:82. UC got another gold in the 400m freestyle relay and a bronze in the 400m freestyle relay.

In athletics, Jan Moses Estrada gave UC its seventh gold as he lorded it over in the secondary boys shotput event after heaving the iron ball to a distance of 10.92 meters. Rensel Rosales from Tagbilaran Grace Christian School got the gold in the girls division.

Meanwhile, 12-year-old Maria Therese Gardose snatched the tournament's first gold after topping the elementary girls shotput at 6.22m.

“I didn't got a single medal last year that is why I trained hard and with the help of my coach I finally made it and I am happy because its a gold,” said Gardose of Guinsay Elementary School in Danao City. The gold in the boys class was grabbed by Joseph Berdin of University of San Carlos-BED.

On the other hand, the spirited swimmers of the University of San Carlos led by Regina Imperio also fished out golds at the pool. Regina Imperio topped the women's 400m freestyle with the time of 6:31.03, while the USC relay team swept three golds in boys and girls elementary 400m freestyle and secondary 400m freestyle.

Alfeo Vallespin added one more gilt to USC in the 50m breaststroke plus a silver medal in the 200m individual medley. Tiro Junvic turned over a silver in the 200m breaststroke and Gil Anton in the 400m freestyle, while maria Aaliyah Biagan and Kirk Ebon snared two bronzes in the 50m breaststroke and 200m IM.

In taekwondo, Don Vicente Rama Memorial Elementary School got two golds from Patrick Keith Nacorda and Mary Jocelyn Syllanto.

Also dishing out golds for their respective schools in the elementary taekwondo were Labiste Chynah from Guadalupe Elementary School, Leo Dominic Zaragosa of Sta.Rita Academy, Francisco Entiero of Asuncion L. Lizares Elementary School and Miraflores Camille Andrea of University of St. La Salle-Bacolod.

In football, Liloan National High School trashed Ilo-ilo National High School, 3-0, Bright Academy outplayed Talisay National High School, 5-1, Paref-Springdale won against Woodridge School and Abellana National High School defeated Canduman High School, 6-1.

In elementary basketball that is contested for the first time in the history of Milo Olympics, the University of the Visayas (UV) and Cebu Eastern College (CEC) blasted separate foes but the biggest story of the day was the triple overtime victory by St. Alphonsus Catholic School (SACS) of Lapu-Lapu City over the University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R), 65-58.

UV subdued Don Bosco Technology Center (DBTC), 55-46, while CEC spared no mercy in its 89-28 massacre of Guadalupe ES.

In other games, Virgen de la Escuelas Pias topped Bo. Luz ES, 55-35, while Monterey School of Talisay City prevailed over their rivals from Oprra ES, 42-31.

Aside from basketball, the other sporting disciplines featured in the two-wekend tilt are athletics, badminton, chess, football, gymnastics, lawn tennis, scrabble, sepak takraw, sipa, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, and volleyball. (FREEMAN)