Tankers, jins give QC B Pinoy lead

MANILA, Philippines - Quezon City stamped its class in swimming and pulled off victories in taekwondo to wrest the overall lead from Pangasinan in the Batang Pinoy Luzon qualifying leg at the Zambales Sports Complex in Iba, Zambales yesterday.

Kirsen Chloe Daos and Joshua Taleon led QC’s medal binge by winning three golds each in the pool while taekwondo jins Jean Nigel Buan and Amber Austa ruled their finals matches that propelled QC to the top.

Daos, who earlier won the girls 13-15 400m free and 200m fly, capped her campaign with a victory in the 200m free while Taleon topped the boys 13-15 200m breaststroke after ruling the 50m breast and 200m medley relay.

Overall, QC copped 15 golds in swimming for a tally of 31 gold medals, 14 silvers and 21 bronzes in the penultimate day of competition in the talent-search program of the Philippine Sports Commission for athletes not over 15 years old.

Palarong Pambansa champion Maurice Sacho Ilustre of Manila and Marc Audrey Santos of Malolos emerged the most bemedalled swimmers with four golds each.

Ilustre, an eighth grader from UE and winner of five gold medals in the UAAP, punctuated his scintillating performance with victories in the boys’ 13-15 200m and 1,500m free while Santos, 12, won the boys’ 11-12 100m, 200m, 400m and 1,500m free.

Pangasinan, which dominated athletics in the early going to take charge, remained in contention with a 20-15-17 gold-silver-bronze haul after victories in archery courtesy of double-gold performers Eilam Santos and Angelica Aldea, and William Henderson Ty.

Santos subdued Arjay Almirol of La Union twice in the finals, pulling off a 1235-1226 win in the boys’ cub single fita followed by a clear 311-290 victory in the 30 meters, while Aldea won the girls’ cub 20-meter and 40-meter events. Henderson defeated Almirol in the boys’ cub 50m, 295-292.

Archer Althea Nasha Dionaldo of Dumaguete City won four gold medals in the girls’ cub single fita, 30m, 50m and cadet single fita while La Union’s Brian Johanns Monteverde (boys cadet 30m and 50m) and Mary Queen Ybanez (girls cadet 30m and 60m) had two golds each.

Baguio City struck in combat sports taekwondo, wushu and arnis on Day 3 to surge near the top from the bottom of the field of 105 local government units.

Finweight Christian Mark Duntungan, flyweight Cramer Juris Quiambao, feather Kristian Daniel Manitag, welter Phoebie Kate de Guzman, Kaye Shanelle Romnar (middle), finweight Angelica Joyce Gaw and Trisha Mae Buscagan (light) won their respective weight classes in taekwondo.