Cagers seal NCR domination of Palaro

TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte, Philippines – The National Capital Region fended off a late surge by Calabarzon and Western Visayas with a victory in basketball as it continued to reign as the secondary champion in the 2009 Palarong Pambansa at the Leyte Sports Development Center here.

The Big City cagers, represented by regional champion Letran, walloped Davao Region, 86-78, as NCR amassed 280 points to cap its romp in the weeklong multi-sports meet for public elementary and high school athletes.

The victory completed a sweep by NCR, which also ran away with the general championship in the elementary division with 308.6 points, way ahead of Western Visayas and Calabarzon, which finished with 194 and 129, respectively.

NCR also made a sweep of basketball as it edged Western Visayas, 62-61, in the elementary final.

NCR’s win in basketball thwarted the spirited final day charge by Calabarzon and Western Visayas, which struck in other ballgames but failed to catch the perennial champions.

Calabarzon overpowered NCR, 8-5, in secondary baseball to earn 25 championship points as it beat Western Visayas for second place overall with 255.5 points.

Western Visayas pulled off dramatic wins in football, softball and girls and boys volleyball to gain 100 points as it finished with 252.67 points for third.

WV retained the boys volleyball title with a 25-18, 25-17, 25-16 win over Cotabato Region and completed a twin victory in the sport when its girls squad unseated last year’s titlist NCR in a marathon 25-14, 22-25, 25-21, 23-25, 15-7 triumph.

WV also beat Calabarzon, 2-0, in secondary softball to rule the event for the 18th straight Palaro. It also took the football crown, downing Cotabato, 3-1, in the semis and blanking Calabarzon, 7-0, for the crown.

The NCR dominated swimming with a 17-gold haul, including four by Johansen Aguilar, who also set three records.

NCR also dominated boys’ chess and table tennis and girls’ badminton, chess, artistic and rhythmic gymnastics and table tennis.

Aside from ballgames, Western Visayas shone in athletics with Viena Mae Banebane and Josie Malacad combining for five gold medals.