Agusan bet PRISAA 1st gold medalist

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan, Philippines – A teacher’s son from Agusan del Sur took the first gold medal as he ruled the 5,000-meter run even as the Calabarzon tankers raked in four golds at the start of the PRISAA National Collegiate Games here yesterday.

Sonny Wagdoz, 18, clocked 15 minutes, 46.9 seconds as he propelled Davao Region in the early going of athletics before a big crowd at the Narciso Ramos Sports and Civic Center.

“I just kept on running, running, running, it was long but I just tried to strategize,” said Wagdoz in Filipino, a second year Criminology student at University of Mindanao who nipped teammate Anthony Nerza (15:48.9).

“I’m happy I won. I want to win more medals here,” added Wagdoz, who finished 13th in the Tarlac Palarong Pambansa.

Host Region 1 (Ilocos Region) Debby Habon, an Education student of Virgen Milagrosa University Foundation in San Carlos City, clinched the women’s long jump title with a 5.23 meter effort, beating CAR’s Marla Felice Ellaga (5.23 meters) and Calabarzon Region’s Regine Ganidlon (4.95 meters).

Last year’s topnotcher Central Visayas, Western Visayas and Davao Region also made their presence felt in athletics, one of 18 sports being disputed in the week-long meet.

Ernesto Ybanez bagged the men’s title in long jump (7.01m), while Devy Isaac dominated women’s javelin with a 33.20m heave. 

Later, Adrian Linao posted a 50.92m throw to cop the mEn’s javelin gold for Davao Region. 

At the Dagupan City Poolsite, Calabarzon’s Rizaljun Jurado, Jerome Magallanes, Jaydee Rose Dalay and John Henry Calma topped their respective events in impressive fashions.

Jurado clocked 2:10.74 minutes to rule the men’s 200m free, Magallanes took the men’s 100m breastroke gold in 1:12.59, while Dalay lorded it over in women’s 100m breastroke in 1:26.94.

Calma gave Calabarzon its fourth gold medal in swimming when he triumphed in the men’s 200-m fly.

Central Visayas (Reg. 7) ‘s Lorendale Echavez routed the opposition in women’s 200-m free.

The other gold medalists in swimming were Central Luzon’s Vince Philip Pena (boys 200-m, freestyle, 2:16.62) and Anna Patricia Nuque (girls 100-m breastroke, 1:32.67), and Western Visayas’ Maria Rudette Casidsid (girls’ 200-m, freestyle, 2:33.27), Casy Raybac Gumabong (boys 100-m breastroke, 1:18.90), and Chris Roel Guillergan (boys 200-m butterfly, 2:38.65.