Thursday, April 26, 2007 Region 7 moves to 2nd By Mike Limpag Sun.Star Staff Reporter
KORONADAL City—As the intense heat flirted with the 40-degree mark, Central Visayas plucked four gold medals in the third day of the Palarong Pambansa.
The three golds in the elementary division propelled Central Visayas to second overall with 73 points, with the National Capitol Region safely at first with 133—owing to its 14 of 16 golds in swimming. Region 6 is at third with 60.
It was the same story in the secondary division for NCR, as it took the first spot with 167. Calabarzon is a distant second with 83, while Cotabato Region is third with 74. West Visayas is fourth with 66, while Central Visayas is fifth with 36 points.
Former Milo Little Olympics MVP Daniel Jay Tormis swept his reverse singles match to tow the elementary boys table tennis team to a golden finish at the Fitmart Conferent Hall.
In the team finals against NCR, John Paul Christopher Baay won the first singles, 3-2, and Tormis made it 2-0 after a 3-1 win.
NCR managed to get back after Jean Phillippe Honoridez and Val Stephen Jaca lost their doubles game, 3-2, before Tormis scored a 3-0 win in the reverse singles.
Losses
The secondary boys squad took third place after losing to Calabarzon in the semifinals, while the secondary girls team lost to Caraga in the quarterfinals.
After the team event, Tormis and Baay will go for the singles gold, while Jhinno Celma and Jeoffrey Apas will play in the secondary division.
“Dako ang chance ni Tormis og Baay,” said coach Jessica Jawad-Honoridez.
The elementary girls tennis team had to buck Irish Jaca’s 0-8 loss in the first singles to beat Davao Region, 2-1, for the gold.
Hanna Grace Espinosa and Kimberly Uytico defeated Anna Colemnares and Angeli Omandac, 8-4, before Crissian Kintana sealed the gold with an 8-1 win over Debbi Ace Songaya.
The secondary boys team of Benido Patindog, Israel Abarquez, Larr Antigua and Francis Largo settled for silver after losing to NCR in the finals.
The badminton girls team of Jesa Mae Laet, Jeralyn Taboad, Hanel Adrian Piliansan and Charmaine HJosh Li also won a gold after beating Region 3 in the final.
In athletics, Lindley Fran Navaja wasn’t as fast as during the qualifiers, but his 11.5 run in the century dash at the South Cotabato Sports Complex was enough for gold, edging the Western Visayas bet who had 11.6
After a golden leap in the triple jump yesterday, Irene Baluran settled for a silver in the long jump after equaling her personal best of five meters.
Bronzes
In swimming, Loren Echavez (400m freestyle), Zoe Menguito (200 butterfly), Edgar Allan Jarina (50m butterfly) and two relay teams won a bronze each in the NCR-dominated field.
Echavez and Menguito also won the bronze in the 200 m relay with Paula Vega and Queenie Endres with 2: 17.71. Calabarzon took second while NCR broke Cviraa’s 2:12.49 record in 1998 after a 2:12.24 finish.
In chess, Jedara Docena scored three points in four rounds for a joint third, with Jessa Balbona fourth with 2 points.
Docena defeated Denis Sy in the first round but lost to Judith Pineda of CLRAA in the second, then defeated Mary Israel Palero and Jan Froda in the third and fourth rounds.
Balbona defeated Aiza Jandal of Mimaropa and had draws with Kitzy Miguel (CLRAA) and Dawn Grace Pacaña (Region XI) before losing to NCR’s Christy Bernales to register 2 points.
In football the elementary squad earned a day’s rest after scoring their second win against Region 12, 4-0, while the secondary squad was leading Zamboanga, 1-0, at presstime.
