ILOILO CITY, Philippines – Baguio’s Erwin Generalao struck in the boys’ 5,000-m run to capture the first gold medal in athletics while Raissa Regata Gavino of Quezon City collected three gold medals in swimming in the Philippine Sports Commission Batang Pinoy 2012 national finals at the Iloilo Sports Complex here yesterday.
Generalao, a 15-year-old native from Brgy. Pinget, turned in a 16-minute, 46.4-second clocking to rule the 5,000-m run (14-15 years old), beating Laguna’s Gilbert Taquio and another Baguio bet Reymark Quezada, who would up with 16:51.66 and 17:38.00, respectively.
“It was unexpected because this is my first year competing in the Batang Pinoy,” said Generalao, who made it here by dominating the Northern Luzon leg in Lingayen, Pangasinan last October, in Filipino.
Gavino, on the other hand, stamped her class early in the pool, winning the 400m freestyle and 50m breaststroke events while anchoring her team to the 4x50m medley relay gold.
Gavino, a 12-year-old seventh grader from Multiple Intelligence International School, clocked 4:58.15 in the 400m free in the morning events then came back in the afternoon to top the breaststroke event in 36.59 seconds. She later anchored the team of Shannen Ng, Juliana Ong and Kirsten Chloe Daos to the medley relay gold in 2:16.04.
The three-gold romp by Gavino also powered Quezon City to the top of swimming competitions where it finished the first day with a seven-gold harvest, including one by Kirsten Chloe Daos in the 200m butterfly.
Daos, an eighth grader at Immaculate Conception Academy, timed 2:31.71, besting Dasmariñas’ Suzanne Vernon Himor and Romina Rafael Gavino, who clocked 2:33.67 and 2:43.02, respectively.
Also winning for Team QC was Jeremy Brian Lim, a 15-year-old who topped the 400m free in 4:31.13 and 200m free in 2:20.49.
Gavino and Daos are expected to win more golds in the last two days after combining for a total of 11 golds in the NCR leg in Marikina City last September.
“We’ve prepared and worked hard for this,” said Daos, who won six golds in 100m and 200m fly, 200m, 400m and 800m free and 4x50m medley relay in the Marikina elims.
Bulacan’s Rafael Barreto, an 11-year-old native of Guiguinto and sixth grader from Cherubim Montessori, snared two golds in 400m free (4:53.87) and 100m free (1:00.41).
Lealh Taltala gave Baguio its second gold by ruling the high jump event for girls’ 13-and-under in 1.42m she accomplished on her second attempt. Leyte’s Beverly Estrera took the silver in 1.37m while Pangasinan’s Crystal Jane Bayot settled for the bronze in 1.25m.
Pangasinan, meanwhile, swept the 13-under 2,000-m walk behind Rolando Bandarlipe and Mariz Sabado in the 13-under 2,000m walk.
Bandarlipe, who hails from Umingan, timed in 12:18.43 to prevail over Iloilo’s Jayson Ferrer (13:03.52) while Sabado clocked 13:23.46 to edge out teammate Rona Joy Casem in a photo finish (13:23.47).
Other winners in track and field were Dasmariñas’ Christopher Ecija (13-under 2,000m), Iloilo’s Lanz Halongon (14-15 shot put), Laguna’s Charies Mae Violanta (1`4-15 shot put), Negros Occidental’s Ailyn Tumbale (13-under long jump), Marikina’s Lierrance Sayenga (13-under long jump) and Aklan’s Jasmines Tayeo (14-15 high jump).
San Juan City, for its part, made its presence felt in the pool meet with Andre Resol and Maria Magdalena Olegario providing the triumphs in the 200m back for boys and girls 11-12 years old.
In boxing over at the Western Visayas State U grounds, Panabo City’s Criz Zander Laniente, Joeywella Cantero and Khen John Samuranos, who arrived hours before the event after getting stranded at the port of Bacolod City due to Typhoon “Pablo,” showed little fatigue and wariness by defeating their respective foes.
Laniente won over Antipolo City’s Nexon Mendoza via a third round stoppage in the powder weight class; Cantero edged Iloilo’s Robert Magarzo, 5-0, in minimumweight and Samuranos won on points over Baguio’s Ronie Walcien, 5-0, in paperweight to help secure wins for Panabo, a known boxing haven having produced 2012 London Olympian Mark Anthony Barriga.
In wushu, Baguio struck the hardest with Faith Liana Andaye, Vanessa Chan and Aleson Omegan topping in san lu quan, long weapon and nandao events held at the Jaro National High School.
Meanwhile, Tom Carrasco, newly-elected Phl Olympic Committee chairman and triathlon chief, announced individual event of triathlon will unfold at the break of dawn today while the team event starts tomorrow.