Aranas, Espejo top archers as NCR Palaro ends

MANILA, Philippines - Pasay City’s Pacifico Aranas II and Makati’s Julianne Sofi Espejo stamped their class to emerge as the top archers at the close of the National Capital Region Palaro hosted by Parañaque yesterday.

Showing the skills that made him the top hawkeye of the Batang Pinoy national championships last December, Aranas added the 60-meter distance (315 points) and overall FITA round (1,270), completing a five-gold sweep of the high school boys individual events.

Espejo, who earlier copped the 30 and 40-meter high school girls titles, added the 60-meter (315) and FITA  (1,216) golds to her individual trove in the high school girls division of archery competitions held at the Sevilla Archery Range in Quezon City.

San Juan and Manila bagged the boys and girls team archery championships while Makati secured the mixed title of the event that coincided with celebration of the 17th anniversary of the cityhood of Parañaque.

Over at the Marikina Sports Park, Manila flexed its muscles in athletics with 2014 Palarong Pambansa triple gold medalist Ellah Therese Sirlilan leading the way with victories in  the 200, 400-meter runs and 400-meter hurdles in high school girls action.

Fellow University of the East teammate Robertson Mandayag was the top athlete in the high school boys division after winning the 200 and 400-meter runs and a runner-up finish in the century dash.

Manila’s Sally Callos was tops in the elementary girls division after a golden treble in the 100, 200 and 400-meter runs while Muntinlupa’s Kharl Berjuela was No. 1 in the elementary boys division with wins in the 110-meter hurdles and long jump.

Carrying the colors of Manila, Chiang Kai Shek subdued Xavier-San Juan, 71-59, to annex the high school boys basketball championship at the Olivarez gym.

Carl Lui Catapang and Juan Miguel Bautista paced Pasig to a sweep of individual honors in the elementary and high school boys of the espada y daga in arnis while Valenzuela’s Jana Raven Valenzuela and Pasay’s Jeddah Mae Soriano were the elementary and high school girls champs in the same event.