Fil-Am bet ties mark; Lacuna cops 2 more golds

MANILA, Philippines - Fil-Am hurdler Eric Cray came through with a record-equaling feat while tanker Jessie King Lacuna copped two more gold medals to hike his total to five in the PSC-POC Philippine National Games at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City and Rizal Swimming Pool yesterday.

Cray, a 25-year-old Florida native who traces his roots to Olongapo, clocked 14.22 seconds in the men’s 110-meter hurdles heat to match the same record he set in the UNF Springbreak Invitational on March 5 two years ago.

Cray posted the best time in the heat with the Unso brothers, Patrick and Jose, sons of former 80s track star Renato Unso, clocking 14.45 and 15.43 seconds, respectively.

Patrick previously owned the old mark of 14.58 he registered in the 2011 Southeast Asian Games in Palembang, Indonesia as Cray’s 2011 record of 14.22 he set in March of the same year wasn’t recognized then.

“I’m just happy to equal it,” said Cray.

Lacuna, meanwhile, continued to dominate the pool events, winning the 200m freestyle gold in one minute, 56.64 seconds and 400m individual medley in 4:40.25.

The Pulillan, Bulacan native, who won six golds in Bacolod City in 2011 and five in Dumaguete last year, timed four minutes, 7.86 seconds in the 400m free, 53.15 seconds in the 100m free and 2:18.59 in the 200m back for an impressive three-gold splash on Day One of the swim meet.

Lacuna guns for four more golds today in the 100m fly, 200m IM, 50m free and 100m breast. 

“I have five now, hope to win four more tomorrow (today),” said Lacuna, a veteran of the 2012 London Olympics, in Filipino.

Las Piñas City’s Hanna Dato, for her part, sustained her form in the distaff side as she won two golds in the 200m free (2:09.28) and 400m IM (5:06.92), besting her personal best marks of 2:11.00 and 5:10.98, respectively.

The 19-year-old Dato also topped the 100m and 400m free, also finishing with personal best times the day before.

Nestor Colonia of Zamboanga, meanwhile, lifted a record-breaking feat in the 123-kilo snatch where he carried 161 in clean and jerk and a 284 in the 62-kg class.

Colonia’s feat eclipsed the old mark of 114-kg in snatch, 155 in clean and jerk and 267 total set by Jeffrey Garcia in last year’s Asian Youth Championship in Myanmar.

Over at the Rizal Tennis Center, Marc Reyes downed Davis Cup veteran Elbert Anasta, 7-5, 6-1, to snatch the men’s singles’ gold in lawn tennis.

It was a Cinderella finish for Reyes, who beat the top three seeds: No. 1 Johnny Arcilla in the quarters, No. 3 PJ Tierro in the semis and No. 2 Anasta on his way to victory.

Reyes then teamed up with PJ Tierro to trounce AJ Lim and Roel Licayan, 6-2, 6-3, and capture the men’s doubles gold.

Marian Capadocia also scored a golden double in tennis after she followed up her win in women’s singles with a victory in the doubles where she partnered with Maika Tanpoco in turning back Clarice Patrimonio and Fil-Spanish Edlyn Balanga, 6-1, 4-6, 10-3.

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