WV rules athletics; CV out to keep title

CEBU CITY, Philippines  – Western Visayas swept the men’s and women’s 4x400-meter relays to cap its triumphant run in capturing the athletics title even as Central Visayas was poised to retain overall honors in the penultimate day of action of the PRISAA National Collegiate Games here Thursday.

The quartet of Jayson Gualin, Louis Azzarigue, Joseph Binas and Ruel Gasinao handily won the men’s relay (4:02.45) while the team of Rona Mae Villasis, Jerlyn Bernales, Michel Villas and Avejil Baclas made it a double by clinching the women’s race (3:21.72).

With the relays awarding four golds each, the Region 6 bets took the track and field championship with a gold-silver-bronze medal tally of 24-6-6, Region 7 settled for second place with a 13-8-8 haul while Southern Mindanao (Region 11) wound up third (7-11-15).

Central Visayas, however, was consoled by the fact that Cebuano triple gold medalists Ernesto Ybanez (100, long jump, triple jump) and Lorna Olarita (100, 200, 400-meter races) emerged as the outstanding male and female performer of the four-day trackfest.

Mary Jay Tabal gave Region 7 its last track gold in topping the women’s 10,000 meters in a time of 40:18.75 while Cordillera Autonomous Region’s Cesar Castaneto bagged the men’s 10,000 (33.16.90).

Southern Mindanao’s Maynard Curibang cleared 2.82 meters in clinching the men’s pole vault to wind up athletic action in the sportsfest supported by Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia and Cebu City Mayor Mike Rama.

Central Visayas struck hard late Wednesday with nine and eight golds in lawn tennis and badminton, respectively, to boost its overall medal tally to 55-25-34 as of noontime yesterday. Western Visayas was a distant second (35-25-27) while Region 4-A (CALABARZON) was breathing down its neck in third spot (28-23-28).

Region 7 could further pad its overall after seven of its boxers advanced to the finals following semifinals held late Wednesday night.

Lightweight Ian Rafuela whipped Region 11’s Venjacob Vanguardia , 5-0; flyweight Dan Lou Codilla trounced Region 12’s Mark Roger Arellano, 5-0; featherweight Zoro Babel Alsola crushed CARAGA’s Fernando Egos, 5-0; lightweight Robert Labanza stopped Region 12’s Mharlon Navarro in two round; and Melvin Basina sent Region 12’s Javier Seron packing after the opening round.

But the day was not a total loss for Region 12, which had light-fly William Orendain Jr., bantamweight Roldan Boncales and welterweight Rey Ortega entering the finals.

Region 11 lighweight Quirino Mellejor Jr. and CAR flyweight Harmon Jay Valde were the other finalists.

Meanwhile, Garcia thanked the PRISAA national board of directors, led by PRISAA national chairman Dr. Emmanuel Angeles, and participants for enabling Cebu province to host the 20th edition of the meet since the sports showcase of collegiate athletes was revived in 1991.