MANILA, Philippines - Fil-Am Eric Cray delivered a strong point in his bid to represent the country in the Southeast Asian Games as he reset his own 110-meter hurdles mark even as Jessie Khing Lacuna strung up nine gold medals in the PSC-POC National Games at the Philsports Oval in Pasig and Rizal Swimming Center yesterday.
Cray, 25, overcame the challenge put up by former record-holder Patrick Unso as he clocked 14.17 seconds to bag the gold and shatter the 14.22 he set in the morning heats two days ago. The feat duplicated the then unrecognized mark he set in the UNF Springbreak Invitational on March 5 two years back.
Unso, who previously owned the old mark of 14.58 he set in the 2011 SEAG in Palembang, Indonesia as Cray’s record was then unrecognized, didn’t go out without a fight as he ran the race of his life with an equally impressive time of 14.21 for the silver.
Unso’s brother, Jose, wound up third in 15.00.
Cray is hoping to fight for the country in this year’s Asian Championships in India, the World Championships in China and the SEA Games in Myanmar.
Lacuna, a 20-year-old Pulilan, Bulacan native, bagged four more gold medals to emerge the most bemedalled athlete in the annual games with a whopping nine mints.
Lacuna, who won six in the Bacolod City edition two years ago and five in Dumaguete City last year, added the 100-meter butterfly, 200-m individual medley, 50-m freestyle and 100-m breaststroke to his earlier gold collection to reach the nine-gold mark, a first in the history of the multi-sports meet. An incoming freshman, Lacuna clocked 58.62 seconds in 100m fly, 2:13.39 in the 200-m IM, 24.64 in the 50-m free and 1:11.55 in the 100-m breast.
“It’s really my goal to win nine golds and I’m glad I achieved it,†said Lacuna, who is seeking to participate in the Asian Indoor Swimming Championship in Korea next month.
While Lacuna lorded it over the men’s side, PNG rookie Hannah Dato reigned supreme in the women’s division where she wound up with five golds, the last in the 200-m IM.
“I hope to make it to this coming SEA Games that’s why I gave it all,†said the 19-year-old Dato, who stopped competing for a year before returning to training just for the PNG.
Over at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium, Air Force dominated volleyball with an emphatic sweep of both the men’s and women’s golds.
The Airmen edged reigning inter-collegiate and UAAP champion National U, 25-22, 25-20, 19-25, 25-22, for the men’s gold while their women’s counterparts turned back Cagayan Valley, 21-25, 25-19, 26-24, 25-18 to complete a twin kill.
In baseball at the Rizal Diamond, Philab denied Air Force another gold with a 10-3 triumph for the gold.