CEBU CITY -- Cagayan de Oro (CdeO) City athletics team on Monday pulled two gold medals and a bronze from swimming in the ongoing 2018 Philippine National Games (PNG) at Abellana Sorts Complex here.
Team CdeO has a total of three gold, one silver and two bronze medals after 12 noon Monday, May 21.
Erwin Mancao was the first to salvage a gold medal after winning the 5,000 meters run youth boys, while Lexmar Cupin handed Team CdeO’s first medal after his silver finish in discus throw youth boys.
A bronze followed after Kent Vincent Unson landed third in the discus throw junior boys during the opening day action.
But on Monday, Clint Nino Neri and Sheinne Sanchez shone in the second day after topping their respective events in the morning.
Neri and Sanchez were both new to the prestigious national games and were used to the hotly-contested Palarong Pambansa, the country’s annual grassroots program.
Neri, a student of Cugman National High School, finished with 6.60 meters to cop first place in the long jump youth boys, while his closest pursuer from Davao City set 6.47 meters.
Recently, Neri was a silver medalist in the triple jump secondary boys in this year’s episode of Palarong Pambansa.
With his feat in Palaro, he was scouted by national coaches from different universities and colleges in Manila and grabbed the offer to become a junior Bulldog where he will take Grade 11 at National University (NU).
Sanchez also handed Team CdeO a gold after dominating the shot put junior girls.
The 19-year-old Sanchez, a prize athlete from Pilgrim Christian College, Julio Pacana, threw 10.5 meters high and 10 inches margin against the second placer from Pagadian City.
Sanchez, a resident of Licoan, Julio Pacana Street, admitted on beating her fourth place output with 9.95 meters set in Palarong Pambansa in Antique, two years ago.
Oro swimmer Jose Marie Nave, who missed a gold medal finish in the first day, bounced back from a heart-breaking loss with a bronze medal in a tight race in the 200 meters back strong open division.
Brothers Kevin Troy and Lean Ysidore Dagum both from Koronadal City won first and second.
Kevin Troy finished two minutes, twenty one seconds and 48 milliseconds, while Lean Ysidore clocked two minutes, twenty one second and 75 milliseconds.
Nave followed by narrow margin with two minutes, twenty two seconds and three milliseconds.
“Didto nalangan si Nave sa somersault or turn kay didto siya mabayaan ug walay problema sa iyang speed sa iyang strokes,” said Nave’s coach Eduard Maut.
Nave missed the gold in the 100 meters men’s freestyle on Sunday where he apparently finished first but later was disqualified for “false start.”
Nave will still play three more individual events.