Two Albert bets string up 10 golds

Daryl Ceballos and Joy Regillas of Dr. Albert Elementary School ran away with five gold medals each yesterday but it was Aurora A. Quezon Elementary School which had the final say in the athletics competition of the second Manila Youth Games at the historic Rizal Memorial Stadium.

Ceballos, competing in the boys’ 12-under, and Regillas, vying in the girls’ 12-under, both won three golds on the final day of athletics for a total of five — a rare feat matched only by Antonio Mendenilla of Philippine Christian University.

Ceballos posted victories in the 50, 100, 200 and 400 meters, and the 4 x 400 relay while Regillas made her opponents eat dust in the 50, 100 and 200 meters, and a couple of relays — the 4 x 100 and 4 x 400.

An incoming first-year high school student, Ceballos was given a shot at a sixth gold when he saw action in the high jump in lieu of an injured teammate. But he struggled in the event despite showing sound fundamentals and some promise.

"Tama na po ito. Okay na din ang lima," said Ceballos, winner of three golds in last year’s MYG — 200 meters, 4 x 100 and 4 x 400 — but never in the Palarong Pambansa or Batang Pinoy.

Ceballos and Regillas, however, just couldn’t do everything for their school along Dapitan St. as Aurora Quezon pulled off a runaway victory in the 4 x 400 relay of the girls’ 13-15 bracket.

With the victory scored under the shaded lane, Aurora A. Quezon pocketed 17 of the 49 golds disputed in athletics. Dr. Albert and PCU, starring Mendenilla, both snared 14 golds.

The 15-year-old Mendenilla won his five golds in the 100 and 200 meters, long jump, high jump and 4 x 100 relay. He was also entered in the discus throw but just couldn’t stretch his luck with the metal plate.

"Mahirap na din ang limang gold," said the reigning NCAA long jump champion who also plays basketball, billiards and darts in his spare time.

At 5-foot-4 with a medium build, Mendenilla towered over most of his rivals–some of them too short, skinny or even shoeless just to get a decent shot at winning.

In table tennis, Pablo Gomez Elementary School proved to be a good source of future champions when it won four of the six gold medals disputed at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum the other day.

Tucked under the Pablo Gomez belt were golds in boys’ and girls’ 12-under team events and the boys’ and girls’ 12-under doubles. University of the East won the two other golds in the boys’ 15-under team event and 15-under doubles.

With the centerpiece event of athletics over, action in the last two days of competition shifts to badminton, gymnastics, softball, baseball, volleyball and taekwondo.

With still two days left, Manila Mayor Lito Atienza has taken his hat off to the organizers, athletes and officials for the rousing success of the MYG, a brainchild of the mayor’s son Ali.