PSL tankers bag 25 golds in Singapore meet

SINGAPORE – The Philippine Swimming League (PSL) made huge waves on the opening day by winning 25 gold medals in the 2014 Singapore Invitational Swimming Championship Saturday at the Singapore Island Country Club (SICC).

Daryl Concepcion of Diliman Preparatory School grabbed the spotlight as he broke the nine-year-old record in the boys’ 13-14 50-meter backstroke. The 12-year-old Concepcion registered an impressive time of 30.44 seconds to erase the 30.91 old mark of Peh Fraser of Singapore in the 2005 edition of the tournament.

Veteran campaigners Jesreel Francisco and Christen Mercado also shared the limelight with three gold medals each while Sean Terence Zamora, Micaela Jasmine Mojdeh, Angelica Medrano and Denjylie Cordero won two golds apiece.

Francisco topped the girls’ 11-12 200-meter individual medley, 50m backstroke and 100m butterfly while Mercado ruled the boys’ 18-over 50m breaststroke, 200m IM and 50m backstroke.

Zamora dominated the boys’ 13-14 200m IM and 50m back, Mojdeh reigned supreme in the girls’ 7-8 100m butterfly and 50m breaststroke, Medrano pocketed the girls’ 15-17 50m backstroke and 100m butterfly titles, and Cordero secured golds in the girls’ 18-over 200m IM and 50m breaststroke.

“Despite the difficulties in organizing a big delegation, I am proud of the PSL as it reached our medal target just in the morning session of the opening day. This is one way of motivating our swimmers, exposing them in international competitions where they could show their prowess against the region’s best swimmers,” said PSL president Susan Papa.

The other gold medalists were Patrick Tierie (boys’ 18-over 100m fly), Bela Louise Magtibay (girls’ 200m IM), Gianna Data (girls’ 15-17 200m IM), Michael Lozada (boys’ 7-8 50m back), Paula Angela Villamil (girls’ 13-14 50m back), Delia Angela Cordero (girls’ 18-over 50m back), Emmanuel Solina (boys’ 7-8 100m fly), Martin Jacob Pupos (boys’ 15-17 100m fly) and Celine Delotavo (girls’ 13-14 100m fly).

Winning silvers were Concepcion (1), Medrano (2), Delia Angela (2), Solina (1), Denjylie (1), Lozada (1), Mojdeh (1), Zamora (1), Villamil (1), Kyla Soguilon (3), Francesca Joves (2), Felice Alexis Reyes (2), Marc Bryan Dula (1), Alic Dela Cruz (1) and Lans Rawlin Donato (1) while bronzes were from Lozada (1), Data (2), Sophia Villamil (1), Inaki Emil Lorbes (1), Dennice Cordero (2), John Gabriel Bucad (1), Georr Briones (1), Jeff Hirao (1), Wilse Jude Azarcon (1), Paula Angela Villamil (2) and Jordan Lobos (1).

“Our swimmers are motivated because this time, they’re not competing just for their schools or provinces, they represent our country so they’re really working hard to give honor and pride for our country,” said delegation head, former Sen. Nikki Coseteng.

“We are looking forward to earning more medals in the afternoon session and on the second day of this event,” she added.

Last year, the PSL copped the overall title after winning 50 golds, 42 silvers and 30 bronzes.

The SICC is the same venue where Olympic champion Michael Phelps and the US team acclimatized for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

The PSL is accredited by the Federation of School Sports of the Philippines, an affiliate to International University Sports Federation.