Vendor’s son cops Palaro gold

NAGA CITY – A son of a couple making a living peddling vegetables in San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte emerged as the first hero of the 2002 Palarong Pambansa, winning the first gold disputed in record-breaking fashion at the Metro Naga Sports Complex yesterday.

Alleloid Lumabao, 17, copped the high school boys’ javelin gold medal in a new meet mark of 59.18 meters, giving Region I and its new sports director Michael Keon – the former Gintong Alay director – a big start in the annual event featuring the cream of student-athletes in the country.

Lumabao eclipsed the old Palaro mark of 58.52 Kuala Lumpur Southeast Asian Games gold medalist Dandee Gallenero curiously set in the same venue five years ago.

"Walang ibang inaasahan sa amin dahil maggugulay lang kami at nag-iisang anak lang ako. Ginalingan ko dahil ito lang ang paraan para makatulong ng konti sa mga magulang ko," said Lumabao, an incoming freshman at Don Mariano Marcos State University.

Marcelino Esmena of Bicol made 50.26 for second place and Alden Amora of Western Visayas 49.1 for third.

Marriz Cotoner, of Southern Tagalog, meanwhile, distinguished herself as Naga Palaro’s first heroine by topping the high school girls’ high jump also in record-breaking feat.

Cotoner, 16, did 1.60, shattering the 1.56 record shared by Narciza Atienza of Southern Tagalog (1997) and Rosal Paculaba of Central Visayas (1998).

Winner of the same event during her elementary days in 1997 and 1998, Cotoner won as a high school bet by outclassing Kristine Camora of Southern Mindanao (1.51) and Fatima Jimena of the National Capital Region (1.48).

Later in the day, Jeramie Tamles gave Southern Mindanao a gold as he ruled the elementary boys’ triple jump in another record-breaking performance.

Eager to display his wares after waiting for two years for the meet’s revival, Tamles shattered the standing 12.26m mark set two years ago by Central Mindanao’s Esmael Alamin with a jump of 12.38. Raymund Jed Gabuya (12.09) of Southern Mindanao won the silver medal.

And Zubarto Tucongcong (11.98) of the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao pocketed the silver and bronze medals, respectively.

Dina Trabucon bagged Southern Mindanao’s first gold medal in the elementary girls’ shot put with a throw of 9.42, way ahead of NCR bet Mary Jane Miano’s 9.20 and the 8.70-m heave of Geraldine Pajarillo of Southern Tagalog.

Trabucon, a gold medal winner in last year’s Batang Pinoy in Bacolod City, did not even come near Conny Amor Bartolome’s 10.93 mark set in 1996 in General Santos City.

Malco Alcon Dacanay of NCR topped the elementary boys’ 200-m freestyle with a time of 2:14.61.

Roman Borja won Southern Tagalog’s second gold in the secondary boys’ 400-m freestyle while Carmela Nava of Western Visayas topped the elementary girls’ 200-m freestyle.