Rivals NCR, Western Visayas dominate Day One

ILOILO — National Capital Region and Western Visayas came through with initial victories in various fronts, winning four and two gold medals, respectively, to set in motion their respective bids for supremacy in the Palarong Pambansa which got underway at the Iloilo Sports Complex here yesterday.

Ronjie Abing delivered the first gold for the Big City bets by ruling the secondary javelin throw before Rachelyn Astillar and Elizza Desiree Garcia stamped their class and scooped three gold medals in the elementary girls’ rhythmic gymnastics over in Legales, a 20-minute jeepney ride from the main hub.

Abing, a 15-year-old junior at St. Francis of Assisi College in Las Pinas, heaved the spear to a distance of 47.41 meters to become the first gold medal winner of this week-long meet making its return to this scenic coastal Panay Island city for the first time in 14 years.

Florante Dorongon, Jr. of Bicol and Gustil Pido of Western Visayas came in second and third with 46.67m and 46.42m efforts, respectively.

Then came Astillar, whose two-gold, one-silver medal feat was enough to power NCR to the top in the early going of this annual event for elementary and high school student-athletes.

The 13-year-old Astillar, a Barangay Obrero native who emerged the biggest winner in the 4th Manila Youth Games in her age bracket last month, won the rope and ball events before settling for silver in the hoop side.

Garcia, a Grade 5 student at AC Herrera Elementary School, took the hoop gold medal to cap Manila’s domination of the sport.

Another NCR bet, Eliza dela Cruz, a schoolmate of Garcia, accounted for all three bronze medals.

NCR was also expected to dominate the secondary girls’ rhythmic gymnastics late in the afternoon as the Big City contingent braces for a projected battle royal for the overall crown with Western Visayas, the overall titlist in Naga City three years ago.

Lovely Christine Olaira, 16, provided the early spark for the host region as she copped the secondary discuss throw gold medal in this annual meet organized by the Department of Education and the province and city of Iloilo.

Olaira made a 32.79-m throw to beat Angelica Lado of Central Visayas and Lornalyn Alonzo of Ilocos Region, who had 30m and 29.05m for silver and bronze medals, respectively.

Tall and hefty Janette Bayalas, 13, gave the host region its second gold with a win in elementary shot put (9.56m), way ahead of Nina Malinao of Calabarzon and Jonalyn dela Cruz of Bicol.

Malinao actually led in the qualifying round after registering a 9.0m throw but failed to improve on it in the final three throws in the final round where the 5-foot-6, 176-pound Bayalas shone to clinch the gold.

"Medyo kinabahan ako nung una, pero nawala lang nung nalaman ko na ako na ang mananalo," said Bayales, a San Carlos City, Negros Occidental native who trained under former national athlete Milagros Monsale.

Another top contender — Calabarzon — made its move in athletics, courtesy of Kaycee Maala who took the secondary high jump gold and Richard Maulion who won the elementary triple jump gold medal.

Maala, a native of Lemery, Batangas currently being recruited by La Salle and Rizal Technological University, had a 1.58m jump, falling short by a few inches from matching the meet’s record of 1.60 set by Mariz Cotoner of Southern Tagalog three years ago.