Ferrera’s turn to hammer new mark

Airman Arneil Ferrera sustained the local athletes’ assault on national records, earning the feat a day after unfancied Henry Dagmil broke athletics’ oldest mark — the 68-year old record on long jump — in the National Open invitational championship at the Rizal track oval yesterday.

Ferrera, 23, submitted a new national record in the hammer throw event to post the day’s worthiest performance under incessant rains.

So dominating was the Cauayan, Negros Occidental native’s performance that it took him only two throws to register a 55.55 that smashed the current RP mark of 55.28 he himself set in last year’s Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi, Vietnam where he also copped the gold medal.

Only the heavy downpour that swept the metropolis in the afternoon prevented Ferrera from further improving his mark and closing in on the existing SEAG record of 58.80 owned by Malaysian Wong Teskui, who accomplished the feat on June 13, 1993.

"Sayang mas maganda pa sana kung hindi umulan," said Ferrera, who dedicated his effort to his late mentor –Irish priest Fr. Colum O’Halpin who trained kids in Negros Occidental.

Finishing way behind Ferrera were a pair of O’Halpin students–Jero Perater and the former’s younger brother John Albert Ferrera.

Perater finished with a silver medal with a throw of 49.15 while Ferrera, a 20-year-old second year marketing student at University of Baguio took the bronze with 45.47.

Ferrera’s coach Agustin Jarina of Army placed fourth with a throw of 41.87, far from the old 51.98 record he owned until 2002 when the young Ferrera entered the fray.

Army’s Maristella Torres took advantage of the absence of Lerma Bulauitan-Gabito by ruling the women’s long jump with a distance of 6.01 to beat Maricel Sibog of South Cotabato and Korea’s Myong Hee Shin.

Sibog jumped 5.71 for the silver medal while Myong bagged the bronze with a jump of 5.63.

The Filipino-Americans, named the Philippine Overseas Team, continued to grope for winning form after two days in a row.

Gary Cablayan barged into the finals of the 400-meter hurdles following an impressive run in Tuesday’s heats but failed to sustain it as he did not finish in the finals due to injury.

Thailand’s Teeraporn Parum topped the event with a time of 53.29 with Demetrio Macarandan of San Sebastian College and another Thai, Wanonai Kunkajron, clocking 54.10 and 54.25, respectively, to claim the silver and bronze.

Kashus Perona topped the first of the two heats in the 400-m to make the finals while veteran Ernie Candelario ruled the other heat with a slightly better effort.

Other winners were Cristabel Martes (3,000m in 10.24.55), Melinda Manahan (10,000-m walk), Rosie Villarito (javelin), Zhan Ron of China (100-m hurdles), Roberto Fresnido (discus throw), Librada Tamsou (800-m run) and John Lozada (800-m).

Thailand’s 4x100-m relay team of Prion Autas, Panom Pudsa, Sompote Suwannarangsri and Supawat Thanjalern also gained the gold, beating Hong Kong and the Air Force squad headed by Candelario.