Ilonggo tankers reassert men's swim supremacy

Iloilo PRISAA male tankers are poised to re-assert their supremacy in the 8th Western Visayas Private Schools Athletic Association Meet with their women counterparts threatening to dislodge archrival host Negros Occidental Private Schools Sports Cultural Educational Association as Day 1 of action kicked off Monday at the Panaad Park and Stadium's Olympic Pool in Bacolod City.

Early competition results showed that Iloilo already booked 10 golds, 8 silvers and 5 bronzes against NOPSSCEA's 4-5-6 output. Capiz has a silver and 2 bronzes after the first day of swim action.

Seventeen-year-old Reynalissa Catapang, a freshman at St. Therese Iloilo, and Chantana Neptuna, an accountancy major, spearheaded the Ronald Sta. Ana-mentored Iloilo side with their double-gold outputs in their respective events.

Catapang, in her maiden WVPRISAA Meet appearance, triumphed in the women's 200-m butterfly event, where she registered 3:00.45, and later ruled the 100-m free sprint with a 1 minute and 8.86 seconds record.

Neptuna, only 16, was tops in the women's 400- free (5:30.95), and in the 100-m backstroke contest (1:19.61).

Iloilo's fifth gold in the WVPRISAA women's swim finals came from the quartet of Mae Sol Sarmiento, Jhessa Tayong, Angelique Vy Gonzales and Donna Jane Gaylon, who ruled the 4x200-m free relay with a clocking of 12:53.63.

The Ilonggos stamped their class in the men's swim events, also with an identical five-gold tally, with Joseph Jamil Gloria, of John B. Lacson Maritime University-Molo, leading Sta. Ana's wards.

Gloria, 18, who hauled six golds in he 2009 WVPRISAA edition, kept this 50-m breast title in 32.66 seconds and went on to bring home the gold in the 200-m individual medley with a 2:31.00 clocking.

Ronel Duran, Jonathan Victor Dublas and the quartet of Duran, Miguel Petero, Richard Nisda and Felino Hizo completed the five-gold tally of Iloilo PRISAA in the men's swim competitions with their domination of the 200-m fly (2:32.07), 100-m free (59:02 seconds) and the 4x200-m free relay (10:47.81), respectively.

Klint June King, men's 400-m free (4:43.39); Reymark Cornel, men's 100-m back (1:07.95); Ariana Francesca Ritual, women's 50-m breast (40:85), and Ma. Cleistah Sol Sabusap, women's 200-m IM (2:52.68), delivered NOPSSCEA's four golds on Day 1 of swim events.

"We apparently do not have a strong line up against our Iloilo rivals. Two of our ace swimmers are preoccupied with their academic requirements, while the other one is suffering from dengue," said NOPSSCEA swim coach Annabelle Clamor.