Thursday, July 17, 2008 Atilano leaves for Vietnam track meet
NEGRENSE track standout Sheena Atilano of La Carlota City left yesterday with Beijing Olympics-bound Marestella Torres, Mercedita Manipol and lone RP male entry Rene Herrera for Vietnam to compete in the 15th Ho Chi Minh City-Vietnam Open Track and Field Championships set July 18 at the Thong Nhat Stadium in the Vietnamese capital.
The former Palarong Pambansa standout will compete in her favorite 100-meter hurdles while Torres will compete in long jump, Manipol in 5,000 meters and Herrera in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.
Atilano spent several months of training in the US together with high jumper Henry Dagmil early in the year in what was intended as preparation for a possible stint in the Beijing Olympics.
Coached by Isidro del Prado and Nixon Mas, the Filipinos, whose participation in the event is supported by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), will pit talents against their counterparts from eight other countries in the annual competition organized by the Ho Chi Minh City Athletic Federation.
Both Atilano and Torres are fresh from their five-month training under Fil-Am coach Jerry Cablayan.
Atilano, who erased the legendary Elma Muros' 100 hurdles RP record, was among several Negrenses who received the SCOOP Bacolod Award for Outstanding Athletes of Negros last December 2007 during ceremonies at the Casa Linda of Bascon Hotel in Bacolod City.(HCV)
