San Beda, LSGH shine in NCAA swimming

MANILA, Philippines – San Beda and La Salle-Greenhills made the biggest splash by raking in the gold medals and shattering records in the first day of the 90th NCAA swimming competition at the Rizal Memorial Pool Thursday.

Installed as early favorites to dominate the pool events, the Sea Lions and Lionesses lived up to hype with Frances May Cabrera, Jose Mari Sebastian Arcilla, Christian Dimaculangan, Andrei Lorenzo Manzo and their men's and women's 200-meter freestyle relay teams providing the record-breaking swims.

The Junior Blazers, for their part, had their share of record-breakers registered by Mark Romiquit, Andrae Pogiongko and its 200-m freestyle relay squad in the high school division of this competition organized by a committee chaired by Arellano University's board representative Peter Cayco.

Cabrera clocked four minutes and 49.78 seconds in the 400-m free, shattering the old record of 4:50.59 she herself registered last year while Arcilla clocked 1:02.74, which was also a new league juniors mark in the 100-m backstroke.

Dimaculangan assumed the gold and new record in the 100m back in the seniors section by timing in 1:01.30 as well as Manzo, who reigned supreme and destroyed the seniors standard in the 200m individual medley with a new time of 2:13.92.

Cabrera then spearheaded the 200-m free relay women's team of Carla Michaela Chua, Patricia Ella Garcia and Lorelie Lora while Wilfredo Sunglao, Jr., Joseph Lance Sanone, Lorenz Joshua Francisco and Joshua Junsay topped the men's side likewise in record fashions with clockings of 1:57.71 and 1:39.01.

Rominquit splashed his way to the 100-m butterfly gold and Pogiongko took the 200-m IM mint in 58.61 and 2:15.18, both re-setting the old marks.

San Beda is seeking a 13th straight men's championship and 17th overall while La Salle-Greenhills is eyeing an 11th straight high school title and 17th overall.

The San Beda lady tankers are looking to rule their event for the fourth straight season.