NCR, CL tankers cop 7 golds

DUMAGUETE CITY , Philippines  -Tankers Regina Erin Castrillo and Catherine Bondad of the National Capital Region and Rafael Barreto of Central Luzon reigned in the pool while middle distance runner Joida Gagnao of Western Visayas struck in centerpiece athletics in the penultimate day of the Palarong Pambansa here yesterday.

Castrillo, a 12-year-old grade-schooler at St. Therese’s in Quezon City, capped her relentless assault at the mints with her conquest of the 50-meter freestyle in 29.55 seconds. She thus emerged the most be-medalled athlete in the elementary division with seven gold medals at the conclusion of the four-day swim meet.

It was a crowning moment for Castrillo as she eclipsed four marks – 50m fly, 4x50m medley relay, 100m fly and 200m individual medley – and added two more mints – 100m free and 4x100-m medley relay – to complete a spectacular performance that left both friends and foes in awe.

Bondad, the Palaro’s winningest athlete in the previous meets in Tarlac, Dapitan and Lingayen, Pangasinan, extended her reign as she went a perfect seven-of-seven, underlining her feat with triumphs in the 200-m free in 2:12.41 and 4x100-m free relay with Paula Cayanan, Kristen Chloe Daos and Priscilla Loren Aquino in 4:12.96.

The San Beda-Alabang incoming junior swam away with the Most Outstanding Athlete award in the secondary division, having won all the seven events she joined following wins in 50-m, 100-m and 400-m free, 100-m back and 400-m medley relay days before.

“I’m happy I’ve reached my goal,” said Bondad, who was watched by his father, Devron, who works for an oil company based in Brazil.

Barreto, 13, joined the elite seven gold winners’ club after he snared the 50-m free in 27.11 and led the team of Tracy John Alindogan, Marc Audrey Santos and Beaver Jess Pangan to the 4x100m free mint in 4:14.56, the same clocking they registered d in the prelims.

The old standard before yesterday was 4:17.68 Cotabato clocked four years back in Tacloban City, Leyte.

Sharing the spotlight was the 17-year-old Gagnao, who shattered the 1,500m and 3,000m records in two days.

Gagnao, a Buenavista National High School sophomore in Guimaras, obliterated the 22-year-old standard of 4:47.9 Plicomia Bolobo registered in Iloilo City by timing in 4:45.2 Thursday afternoon. She later ran the race of her life in the 3,000m en route to ripping the old mark of 10.34.1 by teammate Juneza Mie Sustituedo in Lingayen, Pangasinan last year.

And it was no small feat for Gagnao, who wants to be a teacher someday, as she hammered the 3,000m record by a whopping 10 seconds with a clocking of 10:22.6. Interestingly, the former record holder, Sustituedo, settled for the bronze in 10:44.1.

“I want to win, become big someday and help my family,” said Gagnao, seventh of nine children who lost her father to tetanus five years ago, in Filipino.

Luis Gabriel Moreno, whose grandfather is popular actor and television host German “Kuya Germs” Moreno, delivered in archery where he hauled five golds in 30m, 40m, 50m, 60m and single FITA. 

Moreno failed in his bid to make it a six-gold collection after winding up with a bronze in the individual Olympic round behind Socsargen’s Froilan Cataluna and Central Visayas’ Jujith M Llanto, who ended up with the gold and silver, respectively.

Gagnao’s win was one of many Western Visayas pulled off in centerpiece athletics, including the discus throw gold by Aira Teodisio and the century dash win by Christopher Lirazan, who clocked 22.3 for a sprint double.

It was actually Lizaran’s third gold at the track, having won the 400-m gold a couple of days back.

Northern Mindanao’s Loiza Luzon, the 200-m winner, timed 25.9 in 100-m to emerge the fastest runner in the girls’ side.

NCR also struck in gymnastics as Princess Joy Flores topped the rhythmic event with a total score of 63.8320 and then led the squad of Arielle Nichole Drelba and Jelligin Gerendey to the team triumph.

Host Central Visayas had something to cheer about as it dominated boxing where it harvested four of the seven mints staked there, thanks to wins by minimum weight Lloyd Jabez Antoque, mosquito Clint Gersale, pin Kit Ceron Garces and light fly Junrel Jimenez.

The only gold medals that slipped the host region’s grasp were won by Caraga’s Dexter Louie Racoma (ant), Socsargen’s Wendell Plania (light mosquito) and Mimaropa’s Roel Dona (light paper).

Cordillera Administrative Region unleased its fury in taekwondo where it snared four of the 14 mints staked in the kyorugi event of poomsae courtesy of Irven Lagaoen (Category One), Ivan Murray Solimen (Category Four), Jessica Tumlayen (Category Two) and Emma Therese Bayobay (Category Three).

Caraga’s Moffee Ella Musico, for her part, came through with a couple of wins, one in the individual Category Four and another in the individual Group B.

Over at the jampacked Lamberto Macias Sports and Cultural Center, NCR, represented by San Sebastian, survived a spirited fightback by Calabarzon, comprised of players from reigning NCAA high school champion San Beda, and escaped with a 73-72 win to barge into the secondary basketball boys finale.

The NCR cagers nearly blew an 11-point lead, 71-60, with three and a half minutes to go as the Southern Tagalog dribblers clawed their way back to within a point, 73-72, with 3.4 seconds remaining.

But an errant inbound pass that Andrei Caracut stole gave Calabarzon a chance to steal the game but the former national youth team mainstay couldn’t handle the ball and eventually lost it, allowing the Big City to preserve the win.