DANAO CITY - Cebu City is on track towards another dominant finish in the Central Visayas Regional Athletic Association (Cviraa) garnering the most points after four events wrapped up yesterday.
The Niños currently have 275 points from both the elementary and secondary division and is confidently ahead of second placer Cebu Province (210 points). Dumaguete City is third with 82 points.
The bulk of the Niños’ haul came from swimming, athletics and arnis. The other events that finished yesterday were taekwondo, secondary basketball and chess but the results were not yet added in the overall tally.
The Niños won four gold medals in arnis—the single stick and double stick synchronized event and in the flyweight and lightweight divisions of the full contact event.
Despite playing second fiddle to Cebu City, the Cebu Province athletes were not intimidated. The rhythmic sportive gymnastics competition became a battle between the rest of the region and Mary Carmelli Garovillo of Cebu Province.
And the rest settled for crumbs.
Garovillo took the top honors in the rope, hoop, ball, ribbon and all-around competitions bashing Cebu City athletes led by Palarong Pambansa campaigners, Tracy Badonio and Karen Velez.
Cebu City’s Badonio, Velez and Nicole Sedeño got even and won the team event gold over Garovillo and teammates Rose May Aligno and Lara Mea dela Peña.
In the elementary division, it was also a toss up between Cebu City and Cebu Province.
Cebu City’s Jowena Almirez took the ropes title, while Mikhaela Silverio won the the ribbon and all-around events.
Cebu Province’s Kylie Kate Cabahug, on the other hand, topped the hoop and ribbon event. It also won in the team competition.
Meanwhile, Cebu City is expected to solidify its lead going into the final day as more of its athletes from the ball games reaped more gold medals yesterday.
Cebu’s tennis ace Bernardine Siso made sure his last Cviraa will be memorable as he collared the secondary boys singles title.
He did not waste any time in clobbering Cebu’s province’s Fritz Satera, 8-0, for the win. In the distaff side, Kimberly Uytico of Cebu City also claimed the gold medal after defeating Crissiane Kintanar of Cebu Province, 8-5.
The rest of the Cebu City team will still be playing in their doubles matches today.
In basketball, Cebu City’s secondary team, which is powered by the University of the Visayas players of coach Jun Pepito, defended the title after pulling off an 84-67 win over Bohol.
Cebu City needed a longer time to warm up as it lagged in the first period to Bohol. However, Edcon Marata and Edgar Legarde initiated a scorching run in the second period to build a 48-33 lead.
Legarde topped the scorers with 21, while Marata added 18.
In table tennis, Cebu City’s Dannel Jay Tormis topped the secondary boys division title defeating teammate Val Stephen Jaca in five sets, while his sister Elona Dane took the title in the distaff side defeating another Cebu City’s Jenny Kaye Pepito.
The Cebu Province players dominated the elementary division.
It was in taekwondo where Danao City won its first two gold medals courtesy of Krystal Lianne Tampus and Reymong Karl Banzon.
But the Cebu City athletes still hogged the limelight with gold medals from John Paul Tomarse, Kieth Brian Fernandez, John Loi Gara, Leah Maglasang, Janice Ybara,
Claire Panaginip and Krylei Tagarao.
The final events in the other ball games will be held today. The football, volleyball, elementary basketball will hold their semifinals this afternoon.