Jins, archers lift Laguna to POF lead

LOS BAÑOS – Laguna struck hard in taekwondo and archery to dislodge opening-day leader Camarines Sur at the top of the overall standings in the third Philippine Olympic Festival-Bicol Southern Tagalog qualifying leg yesterday at the University of the Philippines here.

Laguna claimed 12 of the 36 gold medals at stake in taekwondo and rode on the exploits of Matthew Plaza, Mary Grace Romero and Rvee Zotomayor in archery to increase its medal collection to 25 golds, 10 silvers and four bronzes.

The 14-year-old Plaza clinched five golds in the cadet boys category after topping the Olympic round, 60 meters, 50 meters, 40 meters and Fita 900 to equalize Cam Sur’s Kim Nelson Taugan’s output of five gold medals.

Romero, 12, ruled the 50 meters, 40 meters, 30 meters and Fita 900 events for cub girls while Zotomayor also pocketed four golds in the bowman category for boys with victories in the Fita 900, 30 meters, 25 meters and 20 meters.

Finweight Jefferson Grulla, flyweight Romel Jordan, lightweight Ralph Joseph Elic, Niño Manuel Benedicto (welter) and Cyrus Anthony Tolosa (heavy) registered victories in the senior men’s division for Laguna while Sarah Joy Arellano (bantam) and Jenina Go (feather) reigned in the senior women’s category.

Other Laguna jins who ruled their respective weight classes were John Loberg Dela Paz (jr. men bantam), Erwin Nicdao (jr. men feather), Luis Jacob Gonzales (jr. men light), Marae Anthony Deo (jr. men welter), Ara Lorraine Africano (jr. women fly) and Analyn Dela Peña (jr. women feather).

While Camarines Sur wavered on the second day of competitions sponsored by Pagcor, ACCEL, Globe, Summit Mineral Water, Negros Navigation, The Philippine Star and Creativity Lounge, Rizal province surged with victories in table tennis, softball and archery.

Rizal collared three of the six golds up for grabs in table tennis and seized four more in archery through the accomplishments of Giorrel Dungo in the boys’ yeoman category.

Rondell Blanco clinched the table tennis gold in the boys’ 14 and under, Rowena Morales ruled the girls’ 14 and under and Beatriz Magpantay took the girls’ 17 and under title.

With Dungo’s triumphs in the 15 meters, 12 meters, 10 meters and Fita 900 and Rizal’s 3-2 win over Laguna in softball, the province collected a total haul of 10 golds, five silvers and 11 bronzes.

Cam Sur, which sparkled in archery with 12 golds, failed to secure a gold in medal-rich taekwondo but captured the football crown after blanking Laguna, 5-0, in the under-15 division.