NCR sweeps field in gymnastics

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan , Philippines – Powerhouse National Capital Region completely outclassed the field in men’s gymnastics in another explosive start even as Southern Tagalog nailed its first gold in athletics in the Palarong Pambansa at the Narciso Ramos Sports and Civic Center here yesterday.

The Big City bets, who have been lording it over the field as general champions the past years, swept all gold medals disputed in men’s artistic gymnastics at the People’s Astrodome in nearby Dagupan, a 20-minute jeepney-ride from this municipality.

Martoni Carlos Edriel Yulo topped the individual all-around event of men’s artistic gymnastics where he amassed 26.900 points while teammates Jan Gwynn Timbang and Christopher Villanueva finished second and third with 26.400 and 25.800, respectively, to complete a 1-2-3 finish.

The troika’s combined 79.100-point output likewise sealed the gold for NCR, outclassing a field that included Calabarzon (73.450) and Central Luzon (69.950).

Yulo, John Paul Lawrence Cabido and John Ivan Cruz also swept all the medals in elementary boys’ artistic gymnastics by garnering 27.250, 24.950 and 24.850, respectively, as well as the team event by combining for 76.600 to beat Ilocos (70.350) and Calabarzon (69.850).

“Masaya ako at naka dalawang ginto ako, pero hindi pa ako kuntento hanggat hindi ako nakaka-apat (I’m happy I won two gold medals but I’m still not contented until I win four),” said the 12-year-old Yulo, a student at Aurora Quezon Elementary School in San Andres, Manila.

Yulo, an incoming freshman at the Araullo High School on Taft Ave., Manila, is also a protege of the Gymnastics Association of the Philippines.

In afternoon events, John Miguel Lanuza gave Calabarzon its first gold by ruling the secondary triple jump in 13.84 meters, edging long jump gold medalist Julian Reem Fuentes of Cagayan Valley (13.54m) and Lorenzo Capano of Western Visayas (13.45m).

Lanuza’s triumph slowed down the Western Visayas’ juggernaut after the athletics powerhouse won the first of three of the four mints contested in the centerpiece meet on victories by Richee Joy Cabanyog in shot put, Dexter Galos in 5,000m and Evalyn Palabrica in javelin.

Sheinne Sanchez handily won the gold in elementary girls’ shot put (9.95m) over NCR’s Kasandra Alcantara (9.35m) and Cagayan Valley’s Ansharina Rodillas (9.06).

It was the second gold by Western Visayas’ elementary team following Cesar Fernandez’s win in triple jump where he leapt 12.15m to beat teammate Jessie Tormis (11.99m) and Ilocos’ Roderick Osia (11.70m).

In boxing, an Olympic sport where the country has a strong chance of snatching the first-ever gold, Davao del Norte, where 2012 London Olympic-bound Mark Anthony Barriga won four Palaro golds, sent mosquito weight Ferdinand Apat and pinweight John Patrick Dinolan to the quarterfinals.

Apat won over Eastern Visayas Augustine Chinedu Naworji, 8-5, while Dinolan had a tougher time in edging Northern Mindanao’s Dannel Maamo, 8-6.

Meanwhile, medal-rich swimming comes off the wraps today at the Dagupan poolside with a whopping 28 gold medals – 16 team and 12 individual –at stake.

In softball, Calabarzon blanked Ilocos, 10-0, while NCR whipped Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, 5-0.

In football, Eastern Visayas and Zamboanga fought to a 1-1 draw and ARMM and Northern Mindanao played to a scoreless standoff to open their campaign in the sport.