Zamboanga lifters stamp mark in Batang Pinoy

MANILA, Philippines — Jeaneth Hipolito, Mango Prince David, Albert Ian Delos Santos and Christian Rodriguez dominated their respective divisions as Zamboanga City stamped its class in weightlighting in the Batang Pinoy National Championships at the YMCA, Session Road in Baguio City yesterday.

Hipolito flexed her muscles in the girls’ 36kg division, totaling 82kg from her lifts of 37kg in snatch and 45kg in clean and jerk to hand the first gold medal for the hometown of 2018 Asian Games gold medalist and 2016 Rio Olympics silver medalist Hidilyn Diaz.

Janelle Pagalan of Quezon City lifted 68kg (32kg and 36kg) for the silver while Tagbilaran’s Riena Jaluag did 57kg (27kg and 30kg) to settle for bronze.

David did his share in the boys’ 34kg category, hoisting 36kg and 50kg for an 86kg total to clinch top honors while Delos Santos lifted 47kg and 60kg for  107kg to rule the 47kg. class Rodriguez secured Zamboanga City’s fourth gold medal with a best lift of 50kg and 65kg for 115kg in the over 38kg division.

Meanwhile, April Durango (girls’ 28kg category) and Nicol Bitcol (over 36kg division) of Tagbilaran City had winning lifts of 63kg and 88kg, respectively, while Cebu’s Kicely Hermoso (girls’ 32kg) and Alberto Bacaro, Jr. (boys’ 30kg) dominated with 67kg and 72kg total lifts.

In taekwondo, host Baguio City and Pangasinan nailed three golds apiece from the 18 disputed in poomsae and kyorugi events at the University of Baguio Gym.

Lei Ramon defeated Naga City’s Chrystler Kate Cleofe in the cadet female featherweight class while Rain Ramon followed with another victory in the lightweight division against Christine Leire Malapit of Aklan as the siblings struck twice for the host city.

Jins Gabriel Ivan Inacay, Zeik Jhay Ceniza and Zeick Andrei Tacay took the gold in the cadet team category in poomsae for Baguio.

James Oranza clinched two golds for Pangasinan by winning in junior individual male in poomsae and in the junior pair where he teamed up with Kristine Roxas.

Ericka Claudette Edrosolan subdued San Pablo City’s Rapaela Mandap in girls middleweight in kyurugi to capture the third gold for Pangasinan.

General Santos City pocketed two golds behind Paul Anthony Rodriguez with his victories in cadet individual male and cadet pair, where he teamed up with Aleya Rayzal Labao.

Tanker Roz Encarnacion of Laguna, winner of two gold medals in Day One, hiked her haul to three by clocking 2:55.02 in 200m breaststroke at the Baguio swimming pool.

Encarnacion bested her rivals in the 12-under 200m individual medley and the 50m breaststroke Monday and is looking for a sweep of all her five events in the 200m freestyle and 100m breast today.

Quezon City’s Althea Baluyot (28.7 seconds in girls’ 13-15 50m freestyle), Laguna’s Roshanne Biglete (2:34.33 in the girls’ 12-under 200m backstroke and 29.85 seconds in 50m freestyle) and Lucena City’s Mervien Jules Mirandilla (27.27 seconds in boys’ 13-15 50m butterfly) also improved their gold medal collection to three apiece.

On the first day of cycling competitions, Fil-Italian rider Marc Van Louie Baluyut, son of former national rider Villamor Baluyut, seized the first gold in the 14-15 category criterium race at Burnham Park.

Fifteen-year-old Baluyut outpaced 30 others in the second lap of the five-lap 2.2-km race and sustained his charge for a solo dash to the finish line on his first try in the annual event.