HOLY Cross of Davao College (HCDC) athlete Benjie Datago may have failed to land on the top eight of the shot put and discus throw events in the 2009 National Private Schools Athletic Association (Prisaa) Championships in Naga City.

But he didn't come home empty-handed, having struck for a gold medal in hammer throw -- an event he wasn't really accustomed of playing. He registered 36 meters.

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"Dako ang potential ni Benjie. Dali lang siya matudluan. Maski wala siya mag-excel sa lain niyang events, nangita siya paagi kung asa siya dapat. Maski wala miy equipment sa hammer, nagpraktis siya sa basic sa hammer throwing (He is a potential athlete. He is easy to be taught. He may have not excelled in his other events but he found way where he really fits. He still learned the basic of hammer throwing even if we didn't have the equipment for it)," said HCDC coach Emilio "Toto" Lacanaria in text messages to Sun.Star Davao Saturday.

The National Prisaa feat, thus, earned Benjie a distinguished seat at the Pantawan Hall-Pagcor of Grand Regal Hotel that will host the prestigious So Kim Cheng Sports Awards Night on July 22. Benjie was chosen this year's outstanding male track and field athlete on the recommendation of Philippine Amateur Track and Field Association (Patafa) regional director Belen Kempis Taala.

Coach Toto added in the vernacular, "He deserves the award because he defeated entries from the National Capital Region (NCR), Western Visayas and Cebu. These three regions held the hammer record in past national Prisaa meets. He pulled off the win despite the fact that we didn't have any hammer equipment. He won with just his sheer determination to learn the basic of the sport."

Benjie, who hails from General Santos City, learned the ropes of track and field during his freshman year in High School.

But just when he was beginning to like what he got himself into, he figured into a bicycle accident that fractured his right arm.

"It was Coach Ronald Radin who encouraged me to play and join their training way back in High School. After that accident though, I had to stop training," he told this writer.

His arm fully recuperated only during his junior year so he resumed training at once.

In 2004, he made his competition debut in the Little Milo Olympics in Cagayan de Oro City where he clinched his first gold medal.

He claimed the hard training and discipline he underwent paid off with his golden performance.

He went on saying, "I trained harder and aimed higher in regional and national meets after that Cagayan de Oro experience."

True enough, he bagged the gold medals in shot put and discus throw during the regional meet and finished eighth in the 2006 Palarong Pambansa in Iloilo City.

When he graduated from High School, Coach Ronald recommended Benjie to Coach Toto.

"I came to Davao City and study as a varsity scholar at HCDC. Coach Toto helped us develop our skills and our full potentials as track and field athletes through his training methods," five-foot-eight Benjie, son of a teacher, said.

Coach Toto, on his part, said: "He's a dedicated athlete and student. I accepted him in the team because he is really interested and he has that right built for an athlete."

During Benjie's second year in college, Benjie collected one shot put gold, one discus throw gold and one javelin gold in the 2nd Philippine Olympic Festival (POF) Mindanao Qualifying in Cagayan de Oro in 2007.

He advanced to the POF National Championships held at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Malate, Manila where he salvaged the silver medal in hammer throw.

Before he competed in the Naga National Prisaa, he went through the city and regional qualifying stages. He copped the shot put gold and added silvers in discus throw and javelin during the city meet and got the same medals in the regional event.

Coach Toto, meanwhile, said his ward will now focus on hammer throwing. He also said, "We will still give him time for his secondary events. He is into weight training now."

"I want to improve so I'll practice as much as I can," the ace thrower ended.