Veteran long-distance runner Mercedita Manipol and Annabel Sioson spearheaded the assault on the record book by ruling their respective event, as NCR-South, represented by athletes from UE and FEU, stormed to second overall with 7-4-3 gold-silver-bronze medals, leaving behind Ilocos Region (2-0-3).
The combined UE-FEU athletes, overshadowed by UST athletes in the first two days of competition, this time beat NCR-North, which won golds in the 200-m and 4x200m relay to stay on top of the medal standing at 7-8-3.
Manipol, a student at UE and coached by ex-SEA Games long jump queen Elma Muros-Posadas, shattered the 20.56.6 of Roselyn Jimenez in the 5,000-m with a new meet record of 18.19.04. She beat teammate Liza Yambao, who settled for the silver in 19:03.05. Genalyn Canete of Region XI won the bronze in 21:21.02.
Manipol returned to the oval to smash the 5:12.4 record of Blessy Pairat in the 1,500 meters with a new mark 4:46.04, beating Nheann Barcena of NCR-North and teammate Rosel Espinas, who won the silver and bronze, respectively, in 4:53.03 and 5:01.01.
Manipol, who earlier ruled the 10,000m, collected three golds to duplicate the feat of Neslie Cercado of NMCR-North.
Annabel Sioson set a new mark of 33:42 meters in discus throw and Julie Rose Fronda easily ruled the 400-m hurdles in 1:03.02 to complete NCR-South’s four- gold harvest.
Cercado, who won the long jump and 100-m both in record time, recorded her third breaking feat in the 200 m with a new mark 25.07, erasing the old record 26, set by Salvacion Ordoyo.
After ruling the 200-m, Cercado, 19 and a sophomore commerce student at UST, joined hands with Josephine de los Reyes, Mercy Cana and Daguinod to win the 4x200-meter relay in 1:46.06. Southern Tagalog won the silver in 1:47.01 while Central Luzon got the bronze 1:47.08.
Southern Tagalog athletes made good account of themselves in men’s division with four golds and two silvers.
Cresencio Sabal collected his third gold in the 5,000-m in 16:11.02, Rommel Corpuz topped shot put in 12.25 meters, Gilbert Gujar equaled the 55.7 mark of Hemie Satojito in 400-m hurdles. Southern Tagalog completed the four gold medals performance by ruling the 4x400-meter relay.
Julius Nierras saved the day for host Central Visayas by winning long jump with a new meet record 7.04 meters, burying the 6.86 meters set by Jhomoiloden Lucman, and won the 200-m in 22.5 seconds,
NCR-North, powered by UST under coach Jeffrey Santiago, beat Region X, 11-6, while Central Visayas blanked Region XII, 7-0.
Nierras beat Bicol’s pride Alexander Miramo, who won the silver in 22.8. L. Carag of Region XI got the bronze in 23.1.
In women’s basketball, NCR-North beat Region XI, 59-56, Central Luzon clobbered host Central Visayas, 65-59, and Southern Tagalog crushed Region IX, 106-50.
NCR-South, represented by UAAP champion FEU, spiked Region X, represented by Cagayan de Oro City, 3-0, while Central Visayas plastered Eastern Visayas, 3-0.