Bajuyo defends high jump gold

UNIVERSITY of Mindanao (UM) Davao's Charito Bajuyo defended her women's high jump gold on Day 2 of the Private Schools Athletic Association (Prisaa) National Games 2013 athletics competition at the Narciso Ramos Sports Complex in Lingayen, Pangasinan on Wednesday.

Bajuyo, a fourth-year Marketing major, registered 1.61 meters, beating a Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) bet.

The Agusan del Sur-born Bajuyo also doubled the feat by surpassing her golden performance of 1.58m in the 2012 edition of the Games held in Cebu City.

Bajuyo started jumping when she was 10. She kept the Palarong Pambansa secondary girls gold for four straight years in High School under the Caraga Region team. In college, she had a short stint at the University of Sto. Tomas as a varsity scholar but gave it up as she couldn't live up to the Manila lifestyle and she had to pay huge fees. She later transferred to UM Davao where she is currently enjoying a class A varsity scholarship.

Bajuyo's golden finish improved Southern Mindanao-Region's total medal haul to three golds, four silvers and three bronzes in athletics.

In Tuesday's opener, UM Davao mainstays Sonny Wagdos and Adrian Linao clinched the men's 5,000m and men's javelin throw golds, respectively. Brokenshire College's Anthony Nerza settled for 5,000m silver.

Linao along with teammates Analyn Gonzaga and April Rose Guiang chipped in silvers. Linao was stripped off his men's discus throw gold after heaving the iron ball to 38.18 meters that relegated him to second place. But his new mark bested the 35m he made in Cebu City last year.

Gonzaga, for her part, also placed second in women's 5,000m walk while Guiang finished second in women's discus throw.

Wagdos, meanwhile, grabbed the bronze in men's 1,500m as Daisy Jane Canencia also got the bronze in the distaff side. UM Davao's Langie May Meder salvaged the women's 400m bronze.

In beach volleyball, the UM Tagum College-bannered Southern Mindanao men's team walloped Eastern Visayas, 21-8, 21-7, while defending champion Southern Mindanao women's team subdued Calabarzon, 21-14, 21-10 over at the Provincial Capitol Seaside. Both Southern Mindanao teams will each have one game more to win to secure a semi-finals berth.

In chess, Southern Mindanao paced the men's team event by tallying six points after the second round. Jose Maria College (JMC) players Robert Mendez, Clark Kent Anabieza and Kenneth John Tabada scored perfect two points each. Calabarzon and Central Visayas made identical five points to share the second to third place followed by Ilocos Region in fourth with 4.5 points.

Western Visayas and Calabarzon topped the women's chess team event with similar six points while Central Visayas that earned 5.5 points was third. Central Luzon and Southern Mindanao wounded up in the next two spots with five points apiece. Exiquila Apao had two points while fellow UM Davao chesser Cristy Grace Ngo garnered 1.5 points along with Cor Jesu College's Emily Canada.