Bucag throws a gold

DANAO CITY - A LITTLE over 6 a.m. yesterday, Balamban’s stalwart Gia Bucag, snatched the first gold medal of the Central Visayas Regional Athletic Association after winning the shot put event of the elementary athletics at the Ramon Durano Memorial Sports Complex.

Bucag threw 8.77 meters on her sixth attempt to win the gold medal over Tagbilaran’s Rensel Rosales, who threw 8.07m.

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It was an improvement for Bucag who failed to win a medal in the event last year. However, her throw was a little off than her best throw of 9.44m. Bucag took this in stride and said she could do better for the Palarong Pambansa stint.

Pressure

Bucag won two gold medals in the javelin and discus throws in the 2009 Palarong Pambansa in Tacloban City and shot put is not her best event.

“I just was not pressured in the competition because the other athletes are not very strong competitors. But I will be training hard for the Palaro,” said the 12-year-old Bucag.

Today, she will compete in the discus throw where she hopes to defend her title.

Meanwhile, Joseph Risas joins Bucag in the winners circle after winning the boys shot put event. The two make up two of the three gold medals that Cebu Province won yesterday. The gold came from Chellean Cobrado, who won the secondary girls’ shot put event.

Lead

Cebu City opened its title-retention bid with an early lead in the competition after finishing the first day with nine golds, six silvers and seven bronze medals. Dumaguete had a 6-7-5 medal haul, while Cebu Province’s other medals are two silvers and four bronzes.

The bulk of Cebu City’s medals yesterday came from the swimmers at the Cebu City Sports Center Aquatic Center.

Leading the Cebuanos’ charge was Anthony Linn Navarro, who scored two gold medals in the elementary boys division winning the 200m individual medley and 400m freestyle. Another swimmer, Danielle Mae Ballesteros, also won a gold in the 200m IM.

Cebu City’s swimmers also won the 4x100 freestyle relay of the secondary girls, 4x50 free relay elementary girls and 4x100 free relay secondary boys.

Cebuanos also strut their wares at the tracks with University of Cebu’s Muyene Alforque and Sarah Napoles pulling off a 1-2 finish in the secondary girls’ long jump.