Cray, Griffey games' fastest: Fil-Ams rip marks in PNG

MANILA, Philippines - Good as advertised.

Fil-Ams Eric Cray and Princess Joy Griffey came through with the best performances of the day after the two finished with the fastest times in their respective events at the start of centerpiece athletics in the PSC Philippine National Games at the Philsports Arena in Pasig yesterday.

The 25-year-old Cray, who copped the 400-meter hurdles gold in the Myanmar Southeast Asian Games last year, clocked 10.5 seconds in the morning heats of the 100-m dash, coming close to breaking the seven-year-old national mark of 10.45 set by Ralph Waldy Soquilon.

Cray, who will also anchor the 4x100m relay team that included Henry Dagmil, Noli Torres and Archand Bagsit, tries to eventually break the record in the final.

Expected to give Cray the challenge are Sabah, Malaysia’s Maulani Diman, Cebu City’s Daniel Noval and La Salle’s Noli Torres, who checked in at 10.7, 10.9 and 10.9, respectively.

The Washington-based Griffey was a cut above the rest in the women’s century dash, clocking 11.6, more than a second faster than the next two fastest runners, Olongapo’s Karissa Lopez (12.8) and Meralco’s Hanelyn Loquinto (12.9).

Griffey, daughter of former national junior sprinter Leah Nolido, also came two-tenths of a second short of surpassing her personal best time of 11.58.

Griffey will also be the runner to watch in the 200m where her fastest clocking is 23.93.

Interestingly, Griffey’s personal best times in the sprint events are the second fastest by a Filipina next to former Asian sprint queen and now Singapore coach Lydia de Vega-Mercado’s 11.28 and 23.35.

Also making a strong case was Palarong Pambansa quintuple gold medallist Jomar Udtohan of San Sebastian, who had the fastest time in the 100m juniors event with 10.9.83, followed by fellow national juniors pool members Bacolod’s Micael Mana-ay’s 10.9.85 and Santo Tomas’ Romnick Nor’s 11.1.

Udtohan, 17, is tipped to become the country’s next best sprinter after he won mints in all sprint events – 100m, 200m, 400m, 4x100m and 4x400m relays – and broke meet records in each event in Sta. Cruz, Laguna.

De Vega-Mercado also accomplished the feat when she obliterated all marks in completing a rare sprint treble in the 1982 Palaro in Zamboanga del Norte.

In other events, veterans Narcisa Atienza of Baguio and Rosie Villarito of Bacolod took the gold medals in the high jump and javelin throw while Katherine Solis of Baguio topped the long jump competition.

Baguio’s Rolly Rebelala snared the juniors’ discus throw gold with a heave of 41.25m, beating St. Benilde’s Carlo Caong (40.35m) and Mapua’s Avery Cuyugan (39.19).

Over in Tagaytay, Jerich Far topped cyling’s mountain bike downhill event by clocking one minute, 54.81 seconds, besting Eleazar (1:55.46) and Joey Barba (1:56’65).

In volleyball, University of the Philippines downed Technological Institute of the Phl, 25-14, 25-12, 14-25, 25-5, to jumpstart its gold medal campaign.

In rugby football at the Nomads in Parañaque, CBRE Mavericks Vipers, Alabang Ibons, QCPU B, Davao Durians, Cebu Dragons, Clark Rugby Club, Alabang Eagles, Xena and Cebu Lady Dragons all won their first matches.

There will also be events for the differently-abled athletes in the 10-day event.