Northern Luzon archers on mark in Batang Pinoy

ILOILO CITY, Philippines – Eagle-eyed Kareel Meer Hongitan and Mary Queen Ybanez of Northern Luzon shot their way to five gold medals apiece in archery to grab the spotlight in the Philippine Sports Commission Batang Pinoy 2012 national finals at La Paz Plaza open grounds here yesterday.

Hongitan, who hails from Baguio City, ruled the 30-meter, 40m, 50m, 60m and single fita for cadet girls while Ybanez, from San Fernando, La Union, topped 20m, 30m, 40m, 50m and single fita for cub girls to come out the best performers so far going into the final day of the competitions.

Earlier, Bacolod City’s Mary Anthony Diesto leapt to triple jump victory to complete a four-gold haul in athletics while Quezon City’s Raissa Regata Gavino and Kirsten Chloe Daos continued to dominate swimming.

A day after ruling the 100m dash, long jump and 4x100m relay, Diesto, a 15-year-old Tay Tung High School standout, seized the triple jump gold to emerge the best performer with four in the two-day track and field meet.

But Diesto, one of the 11 top Batang Pinoy performers last year who underwent training in London, considered her victory in the century dash the sweetest as she won over Leyte’s Leah Joan Creer, who beat the former in the same event in last month’s Visayan qualifiers in Tacloban, Leyte.

Diesto clocked 12.63 seconds to beat Creer, the 400m gold medalist who settled for silver in 12.99 seconds.

“I was challenged and at the same time motivated in the 100m because I thought she (Creer) is stronger because I lost to her in Tacloban,” said Diesto in Filipino. 

Meanwhile, Gavino, a 12-year-old seventh grader from Multiple Intelligence International School, also took her fourth gold in swimming as she topped the 200m breaststroke for 11-12 years old in two minutes, 57.30 seconds.

On the other hand, Daos, an eighth grader at Immaculate Conception Academy, matched Gavino’s haul by ruling the 200m freestyle for 13-15 years old in 2:18.37.

Gavino earlier won in 400m free, 50m breast while Daos in 200m fly and 400m free before they anchored the 4x50m medley relay to the gold.

Another Quezon City bet, Jeremy Brian Lim, 15, topped the 400m individual medley and led the 4x50m freestyle relay team to victory to join Gavino and Daos in the elite quadruple gold medal club. Lim also topped the 200m and 400m free events.

The troika’s feat thus gave Quezon City a whopping 12-gold haul in this three-day meet concluding today.

In triathlon’s individual event, Makati City’s Magali Echauz and Cagayan de Oro’s Sixto Lalanto topped their respective divisions in impressive fashions.

Echauz, a 15-year second year high school student at St. Paul Pasig, struck in the swim event en route to winning the girls’ gold in 20 minutes and 28 seconds.

Lalanto, a 15-year-old fourth year senior at Ateneo de Cagayan, improved his third place finish in Naga City last year by topping the boys’ side with a clocking of 17:57.28.

Tournament director and triathlon chief Tom Carrasco said the sport resumes today with the team events.

Over at the Western Visayas State U, Pangasinan sent five boxers to the semis while Mindanao teams Carmen and Panabo, both from Davao del Norte, qualified four each.

Mark Angelo Quitola (kiddieweight), Premar Manalahan (vacuum), Romel Abrida (ant), Jeomar Malinab (light pin) and Michael Jeorges Codilla (light fly) carried the fight for Pangasinan and advanced to the semis.

Carmen’s fighters who gained were Jerald Fabricante (vacuum), Christian Pitt Laurente (powder), Aldren Illut (mosquito) and Peter Paul Ganton (light bantam) while Panabo’s semis bets were Criz Sander Laurente (powder), Jimple Jay Cabrera (mosquito), Khem John Samoramos (light paper) and Jose Ravelo Aballes, Jr. (light pin).

In archery at the La Paz Plaza grounds, Baguio City’s Caril Hongitan won the gold in the cadet class for girls.

In indigenous sport of arnis, Baguio’s Josh Yalong topped the double baston anyo for boys ahead of teammate Eric Cagawa and Iloilo Province’s Reggie Navarro while Iloilo City’s Crystal Bartonico ruled the double baston anyo for girls beating teammate Maria Gonzaludo and Lanao del Norte’s Harim Juhaiyrah.