Davao's Wagdos, Linao bag golds

UNIVERSITY of Mindanao (UM) Davao varsity scholars Sonny Wagdos and Adrian Linao captured gold medals for Southern Mindanao Davao Region at the start of the 2013 National Prisaa Championship athletics competition at the Narciso Ramos Sports Complex in Lingayen, Pangasinan Davao Region.

Wagdos clocked 15 minutes and 46 seconds to annex the men's 5,000-meter gold over teammate Anthony Nerza of Brokenshire College who settled for silver with a time of 15:48. A Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) bet took the bronze.

The 18-year-old Wagdos, a native of Agusan del Sur, was elated to have won a gold in the nationals for the first time.

"Lipay kaayo ko kay mao pa ni akong kauna-unahang gold medal sa usa ka national nga lumba. Nag bronze lang man gud ko sa Cebu last year (I'm very happy ‘coz this is my first gold medal in the nationals following my bronze finish in the 2012 national finals in Cebu)," Wagdos beamed over the phone in an interview with this writer.

In Cebu, Nerza also placed second in the same event while the CAR athlete went home to win the gold.

Wagdos, a Bachelor of Science in Criminology sophomore, said he expected to win the race as he trained and prepared hard for it. He, however, failed to surpass his 2012 record of 15:30.

The second among three children of Samson, who passed away last year, and Laarni, a tutor in South Dakota, started running on sixth grade.

He hopes to double or triple his feat when he competes in men's 800m as of yesterday presstime and in men's 1,500m today.

Wagdos added, "Maningkamot ko makadaug usab (I'll do my best to win
again)."

Linao, for his part, made a distance of 50.94 meters to rule the men's javelin throw over a Western Visayas rival's 50.08m and a Central Visayas opponent's 49.06m.

The 21-year-old Hotel and Restaurant Management junior student Linao also improved on his 49m bronze performance in Cebu City last year.

Linao is set to defend his discus throw gold, also saying in the vernacular, "There are more strong and very good throwers this year but I will do my best to keep my discus throw title."

In the 2012 National University Games, the Dabawenyo ace registered 37 meters in discus throw that won for him a silver.

Over at the Provincial Capitol Seaside, Southern Mindanao's three-time national women's champion Blessie Baguhin and Lourdilyn Catubag, both from UM Tagum College, lived up to their billing by spanking Central Visayas, 21-17, 21-16 in beach volleyball. Tthe Southern Mindanao's UMTC pair of Hachaliah Gilbuena and Jefty Amora turned back Calabarzon, 21-16, 21-18 in the men's event.

Today's games pit Gilbuena and Amora against an Ilocos Region tandem while Baguhin and Catubag collide with a Bicol Region pair.

The Prisaa 11 aims to improve its fourth over-all finish in Cebu. The region is also bent on keeping its men's baseball, sepak takraw, boxing and women's beach volleyball titles.