DPS swimmers lead medal haul in PSL 47th leg

MANILA, Philippines - Diliman Preparatory School swimmers – sisters Mary Angelic and Imee Saavedra – emerged as the most outstanding in their age category during the PSL 47th leg, dubbed El Presidente – first Ibalong National Age Group Swimming Championship in Legazpi last weekend.

The siblings, boosted by the presence of DPS president and CEO Nikki Coseteng, ruled all their events – 100m and 50m. freestyle, breaststroke, butterfly and backstroke – and qualified for the Bangkok International age group competition in December.

Mark Bryan Dula, a six- year-old lad from the Learning Garden Montessori School, also won his events, breaking the record in 50m butterfly in 47 seconds.

Emanuel Joshua Lorbes was most outstanding in 15 years category with wins in the 50m freestyle in 26 seconds and 50m butterfly in 27.82 sec.

Seth Isaak Martin,10, looms as the best bet in the forthcoming Bangkok and Dubai meets after he won all his events.

Public school student Mary Angelic Medrano beat all the 13-year-old girls in all her events.

The team championship went to St. Agnes School, followed by De La Salle Dasmariñas and Quezon Killer Whales.

The swimming competition, one of the featured events in the city’s annual celebration of Ibalong Festival, drew over 300 swimmers from 30 swim clubs from Manila, Quezon City, Pasay, Navotas, Taguig, Parañaque, Muntinlupa, Isabela, Lucena, Cavite, Bataan, Bulacan, Laguna and Aklan.

The event was supported by Legazpi Mayor Noel Rosa, Guinobatan Mayor Gemma Ongjoco, and former Sen. Coseteng who awarded the medals.

Commodore Dante Jimenez, president of the Mariners Polytechnic Foundation, whose swimming team joined the competition, and Unity Swim offered the schools’ dormitory for the free accommodation of the Manila swimmers.

The event was organized by the PSL in honor of the birth anniversary of its founder and president Susan Papa with the cooperation of Ibalong Magayon Aquagliders Swim Club of Legazpi headed by Atty. Ma. Teresa Mahiwo and Arlon Rances.