Favorites tumble
By Marian C. Baring
Thursday, April 15, 2010
TARLAC - Upsets marred the Central Visayas Regional Athletic Association in Day 4 of the 2010 Palarong Pambansa after the team’s favorite athletes fell short in events they were expected to dominate yesterday.
However, the archers from Dumaguete City were there to save Cviraa from a gold medal shutout after nabbing three more gold medals at the Victoria National High School archery range.
Marie Crizabelle Merto collected her second and third gold medals after winning the 40-meter and 30m events, while Julian Sebastian Tevez topped the 40m event of the secondary boys division.
Both are from Silliman University.
Aside from the three golds, the Cviraa also hauled six silver and six bronze medals.
The 14-year-old Merto actually prepared for a different competition, the National Invitation to be held in Cebu later this month.
Her father and coach Crisaldo said the Palaro is just one of her stops before that event.
“She has been competing since she was seven. Winning over some of the best from NCR, Dapitan and Baguio shows how improved her performance is but we are preparing for the tournament in Cebu later this month,” said Crisaldo.
Tevez, on the other hand, is playing in his first Palaro, just a year after he picked up the sport and is just an alternate.
Tevez got James Catapusan’s spot in the Palaro as the latter had to take a scholarship excam.
Meanwhile, Loren Dale Echavez continued to display an improved performance yesterday but fell short in keeping her record in the 800m freestyle.
Echavez, who held the record in the event’s debut last year, lost her grip after Calabarzon’s Erika Lukang beat her by eight seconds.
“It’s OK if I lost the record. What is important is I still managed to improve my time,” said Echavez.
Echavez broke her 2009 record of 10 minutes 44 seconds when she finished yesterday morning with a time of 9:56.53. However, in the afternoon, Lukang unseated Echavez when she clocked in 9:48.12.
Echavez will still be competing in the 400m freestyle tomorrow.
In table tennis, Cebuano Dannel Jay Tormis failed to defend his crown after losing to Western Visayas, 4-3 in the secondary boys final.
“We really expected him to win but he lost steam in the championship after very close quarterfinal and semifinal matches. He was drained,” said coach Jessica Jawad Honoridez.
The other silver medalists yesterday were the secondary boys table tennis team, taekwondo’s Charles Laviste in poomsae competition, hurdler Jee Ann Racoma in the secondary girls 400m, the men’s artistic gymnastics team, and swimmers Jeb Cane, Edgar Allan Jarina, John Beltran and John Paul Bayona in the 4x50m free relay.
The bronze medalists were jumper Sarah Mae Napoles, taekwondo jins John Paul Tomarse and Claire Panaginip in poomsae, gymnast Heiro Concepcion and stickfighters Jenny dela Peña and Elias Badopeñas arnis.
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/favorites-tumble
Thursday, April 15, 2010
TARLAC - Upsets marred the Central Visayas Regional Athletic Association in Day 4 of the 2010 Palarong Pambansa after the team’s favorite athletes fell short in events they were expected to dominate yesterday.
However, the archers from Dumaguete City were there to save Cviraa from a gold medal shutout after nabbing three more gold medals at the Victoria National High School archery range.
Marie Crizabelle Merto collected her second and third gold medals after winning the 40-meter and 30m events, while Julian Sebastian Tevez topped the 40m event of the secondary boys division.
Both are from Silliman University.
Aside from the three golds, the Cviraa also hauled six silver and six bronze medals.
The 14-year-old Merto actually prepared for a different competition, the National Invitation to be held in Cebu later this month.
Her father and coach Crisaldo said the Palaro is just one of her stops before that event.
“She has been competing since she was seven. Winning over some of the best from NCR, Dapitan and Baguio shows how improved her performance is but we are preparing for the tournament in Cebu later this month,” said Crisaldo.
Tevez, on the other hand, is playing in his first Palaro, just a year after he picked up the sport and is just an alternate.
Tevez got James Catapusan’s spot in the Palaro as the latter had to take a scholarship excam.
Meanwhile, Loren Dale Echavez continued to display an improved performance yesterday but fell short in keeping her record in the 800m freestyle.
Echavez, who held the record in the event’s debut last year, lost her grip after Calabarzon’s Erika Lukang beat her by eight seconds.
“It’s OK if I lost the record. What is important is I still managed to improve my time,” said Echavez.
Echavez broke her 2009 record of 10 minutes 44 seconds when she finished yesterday morning with a time of 9:56.53. However, in the afternoon, Lukang unseated Echavez when she clocked in 9:48.12.
Echavez will still be competing in the 400m freestyle tomorrow.
In table tennis, Cebuano Dannel Jay Tormis failed to defend his crown after losing to Western Visayas, 4-3 in the secondary boys final.
“We really expected him to win but he lost steam in the championship after very close quarterfinal and semifinal matches. He was drained,” said coach Jessica Jawad Honoridez.
The other silver medalists yesterday were the secondary boys table tennis team, taekwondo’s Charles Laviste in poomsae competition, hurdler Jee Ann Racoma in the secondary girls 400m, the men’s artistic gymnastics team, and swimmers Jeb Cane, Edgar Allan Jarina, John Beltran and John Paul Bayona in the 4x50m free relay.
The bronze medalists were jumper Sarah Mae Napoles, taekwondo jins John Paul Tomarse and Claire Panaginip in poomsae, gymnast Heiro Concepcion and stickfighters Jenny dela Peña and Elias Badopeñas arnis.
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/favorites-tumble
