CAGAYAN de Oro's 14-year-old sensation Ian Nietes Lariba poured her energy in the succeeding Manila Challenge to bring home the bacon in a bigger way.

Her table tennis team missed the gold for Mindanao's cause in the just-held First National Milo Little Olympics in Cebu City.

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Flying immediately to the big city after a silver team effort in the Queen City of the South, the third-year high school student of Corpus Christi went on to win the women's singles crown of the 2009 Hao Chin Sr. Memorial national table tennis tournament at the Blue Eagle gym in Ateneo.

Shaking off fatigue and emotional downfall brought by a frustrating finish in Cebu, Lariba left nothing to chance as she blanked Chrisma Capistrano, 12-10, 11-7, 11-9 in three sets of the women's open singles selection final.

A feat that catapulted the CDO lass to earning a berth in the Philippine delegation to the 25th Southeast Asian Games in Vientiane, Laos.

"She handily won the singles match against NCR, Luzon and the tough host Visayas. But it is team competition in Milo Little Olympics and Visayas proved to be a better team in the finals. Let's just take our chance in Manila," Ian's amiable mother, Imelda Lariba then told Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro during the Mindanao team's outing in Cebu.

Also booking a ticket to Laos for the Dec.9 to 18 biennial meet were Capistrano and Henezy Aragon as well as Richard Gonzales and Julius Esposo for the Seagames squad in the event sanctioned by the Table Tennis Association of the Philippines (Tatap).

Two years ago, the then 12-year-old Lariba qualified straight to the biennial meet in Singapore when she conquered the 13-under, juniors' 16-under and the women's open fields in her first serious attempt to brave the national championships in Manila.

"We're very proud of Ian Lariba. She's a very special athlete who can excel both in sports and academics. Her attitude towards study and exceptional ability in her chosen event will no doubt inspire many of the youths today," said Eric Miguel, sports coordinator of Corpus Christi School.