HOST Cebu City made its presence felt in the track and field and cross-country MTB events to form a three-way tie for the overall ranking after the first day of competitions in the 2018 Philippine National Games (PNG) yesterday.
Niño Surban, Pamela Jane Ruiz, and Ronette Ayuda captured one gold medal apiece in their events to help Cebu City, which finished Day 1 with three gold medals and seven silver medals in the unofficial medal tally.
General Santos City and Sta Rosa City also bagged three gold medals on the first day, tying the gold medal output of Cebu City.
National pool athlete and veteran rider Surban of Talamban, Cebu City proved that he has a lot of gas left in his tank by ruling the men’s cross-country elite in Barangay Manlayag Patag in Danao City.
Surban finished the five-lap course with a total distance of 25 kilometers in 1 hour, six minutes, and 34 seconds, beating Edmhel John Flores of Marikina City by more than a minute for the title. Cesar Lapaza Jr. of Butuan City nabbed the bronze medal in 1:09:06.
Pamela Jane Ruiz chipped in another gold medal with a triumph in the Junior Women’s XCO MTB. The 18-year-old Ruiz completed the two-lap course with a total distance of 10K in 45 minutes and 49 seconds.
Ruiz, a first-timer in the PNG, defeated Nicole Quiñones of Quezon City who clocked 49:05 and Myra Regina Acedo who timed 53:50.
Over on the tracks, Ayuda of University of San Carlos (USC) recorded a personal best leap of 1.50 meters to rule the Senior women’s high jump in the Cebu City Sports Center (CCSC). She won against Cebu City teammate Kristie Kay Vinco (1.40) and Baguio City’s Lyka Casta.
Ayuda said that her previous best was around 1.40m but she was able to reach 1.50m during their practice session.
Lapu-Lapu City’s Cherry Andrin, meanwhile, gave Lapu-Lapu City its first gold medal in this year’s PNG after winning the women’s 5,000-meter 16-Over division. The results and final time, however, were not yet released.
“I never thought to win a gold medal. This is also my preparation for the Batang Pinoy Nationals in September,” said Andrin, an incoming Grade 10 student from Pajo National High School who’s also a first-timer in the PNG.
Before the official opening of PNG, Cebu City already had two gold medals from Daniela Reggie Dela Pisa a week ago in the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Southern Plains, Canlubang, Laguna. Dela Pisa of University of Visayas (UV) two gold medals and four silver medals in juniors gymnastics.
Adding the haul of Dela Pisa, Cebu City has a total of five gold medals.
Cebu City’s silver medalists on Day 1 were Ruffa Sorongon (women’s 10,000m), Arnel Florentino (3,000m steeplechase), Nicko Caparoso (3,000m steeplechase youth boys), Justine Reign Garrido (swimming, 50m back stroke) and Karen Mae Indaya (swimming, 800m freestyle)
The bronze medalists were Jan Moses Estrada (shot put senior men’s), Razel Cabajar (swimming, 100m freestyle) and Rafael John Dacaldacal (swimming, 50m backstroke).
The events that will be competed today are athletics, archery, arnis, badminton, boxing, chess, judo, sepak takraw, softball, swimming, table tennis, lawn tennis, volleyball and weightlifting.