Fil-Am gymnast picks up 7 golds

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines – Fil-Am Jean Nathan Monteclaro scooped up all seven gold medals at stake in men’s artistic gymnastics (MAG) in the 2011 POC-PSC National Games, giving the rebuilding team some bright hopes for its international campaigns.

Monteclaro, a 20-year-old gymnast out of University of California-Berkeley, showcased his strength, agility and grace in his routines on the floor (13.200) and different apparatuses – pommel horse (12.400), vault (15.130), parallel bars (12.500), rings (13.350) and high bars (11.150) – en route to the individual all-around (81.03).

Equally as impressive in the women’s artistic gymnastics (WAG) seniors side was Anna Cruz, who marked her return from injury with the IAA title (46.97) built around conquests in horse vault (12.76), uneven bars (5.37), and balance beam (16.69).

Burly Bacolodnon Maika de Oro copped her second gold of the meet in girls’ shotput to take the limelight in athletics alongside veteran internationalists Marestella Torres (long jump), Arniel Ferrera (hammer throw) and Rene Herrera (steeplechase).

The seven-gold romp made Monteclaro the meet’s most bemedalled athlete thus far, and a shoo-in for the Phl crew to be sent to Indonesia for the Southeast Asian Games. Also SEAG-bound is his twin brother Christian, who despite pulling out of the MAG after suffering from sprained ankle in practice, impressed gymnastics officials.

“They are good. They’ll be part of the national team,” said Gymnastics Association of Philippines (GAP) president Cynthia Carreon, whose association is using the PNG as tryouts for its national team that’s been decimated by the retirement of veterans last year. “I think now we’ll have good aspirations for the SEA Games.”

The Monteclaros came over to the Philippines to seek out slots to the Phl team. “It is an honor for me and my brother to come over here and eventually compete for our country in the SEA Games,” said Monteclaro.

Cruz used to be a member of the Phl team until an ACL forced her to drop out of the team before the 2003 SEA Games. She’s been encouraged by former teammate Kaissa Saguisag to return to the sport. “I believe I have unfinished business in the SEAG,” said Cruz.

The 16-year-old De Oro of Negros Occidental, the undisputed discus throw princess in the Palarong Pambansa and winner of the same event here, extended her reign by hurling the iron ball to 10.18 meters, beating Silliman’s Florence Cleriales (10.10m) and Tangub’s Jessah Fernandez (8.89m).

Torres made a leap of 6.38m on her fourth try, short of her Phl and SEAG record of 6.68m but enough to cop the gold at the expense of Baguio’s Katherine Santos (6.09m) and DLSU’s Felyn Doloso (5.42m).

“Kuntento naman ako sa performance ko kahit di naka-record at natutuwa na rin na meron maaring sumunod sa akin (I’m satisfied with my performance and happy that somebody is likely to stand out in long jump in the future),” she said.

Five-time SEAG champ Ferrera of Air Force romped off with the hammer plum in 57.55m while Herrera did his thing in the steeplechase in 9:06.02.