Torres cops 3rd gold

A day after Lerma Balauitan crowned herself the country's new queen of tracks, Marestella Torres followed suit, crowning herself the country's princess of tracks.

Torres became the first three-gold medal winner in the 2000 Milo Invitational Track and Field Championship as she leapt to record win in the girls' triple jump at the Rizal Track/Football Stadium yesterday.

The Negros Oriental native set a new girls' national mark of 12.09m as she eclipsed the old record of 11.83m in winning her third gold in the four-day meet, following similar first-place finishes in long jump Thursday and the 4x100m relay Friday.

"Ang totoo, hindi ko ini-expect na ganito karaming ginto ang mapapanaluhan ko kaya masayang-masaya ako ngayon," said Torres, who won the triple jump gold over Rodella Matillano of Nagcarlan, Laguna (11.81m) and Jea Ann Secreto of La Salle (11.0m).

Another promising trackster in Chantal Balani of Cebu City also seized the spotlight as she completed a sprint-double by ruling the girls' 200m dash.

The 17-year-old Cebu International School grade-schooler clinched a slot in the national squad on her feat. She doubts, however, if she can join the RP team competing in an international meet in Bangkok next week.

"Mr. (PATAFA president) Go Teng Kok is still talking with our school superintendent. If he can talk to him to give me special exams, then I might join them in the Bangkok competition," said Balani, daughter of former PBA player Woodrow.

Balani won the 200m gold in 25.5 seconds with La Salle's Jonah Genilza coming at second at 26.0 and Rowena Miranda third at 27.0.

Not to be outdone was Arniel Ferrera of Banalbagan, Negros Occidental, who won the gold in the boys' discusd throw also in record-breaking fashion.

Ferrera, a 19-year-old education junior at Binalbagan National College, broke the four-year-old record of 42.06 with a throw of 44.35m, upstaging Rodel Duca of University of the East (37.88) and Bryant Dulhuan of Baguio College Foundation (33.10).

Fidel Gallenero retained his decathlon gold medal by beating a bunch of upstarts with a total score of 6704 points. Robert Fresnedi finished second with 5796 and Sandy Labrador third with 5230.

Chinese Taipei's Chow Chien-Cheng ruled the men's long jump with a leap of 7.61 meters, compatriot Liu Yuan Kai topped the 200m dash in 21.2 seconds while Malaysia's Chun Chun won the boys' 200m dash in 22.1 seconds. -