Monday, November 26, 2007 Unit 5 steals overall title with football triumph By Marian C. Baring Sun.Star Staff Reporter with Norvie S. Misa & Edri K. Aznar
THE sun was setting yesterday when Paref-Springdale troop the football competition of the 17th Cebu City Olympics to the jubilation of their supporters at the Cebu City Sports Center. Little did they know that it was the most important win in the two-weekend meet.
The celebration turned a notch higher when a surprised Springdale learned that its victory paved the way for Unit 5 to collar the overall title in the secondary division, completing a 1-2 punch as the unit also won the elementary division.
“We would have been satisfied if we placed second in football,” said overwhelmed football coach Mario Ceniza.
The win was so crucial that it turned the rankings in total disarray in the final minutes of the meet.
Unit 5 upset previous City Olympics grand slam winners Abellana National School (ANS) and Unit 9. Unit 9 was the champion for the last three years, while Abellana dominated three years before that.
Exploits
Before the football championship was over, Unit 9, where athletics powerhouse University of Cebu (UC) belongs, was leading with 201 points. Abellana had 162 and Unit 5 was at a distant third.
After their win, Lahug district racked up 25 points to register a total of 211 points, which is a six-point lead over ANS’ 201 points.
Unit 9, on the other hand, which leaned on the individual exploits of its swimmers and track and field athletes, and dominated the leaderboard since day 1 of the competition, was relegated to third place as it was cemented at 201 points, proving that in the City Olympics, it pays to win in more team competitions than individual contests.
“That was where we fell. Our unit is not strong in ball games such as football, volleyball and basketball,” said UC athletic director Bernard Ricablanca.
Other than football, Unit 9 won the titles in boys and girls volleyball competition and taekwondo.
In the elementary division, Unit 5 also won the overall title as it raked in 179 points after taking the titles in chess, swimming, gymnastics and girls volleyball.
Unit 2 was not far behind with 174 points, winning in table tennis, softball, and boys volleyball. Mabolo District took third place with 130.5 points.
In the collegiate division, UC remains unshaken from the top spot with 38 golds—18 coming from athletics and 13 from swimming—with 27 silvers and 15 bronzes.
Southwestern University (SWU) was at second place with a 16-18-19 gold-silver-bronze medal haul. University of San Carlos (USC) took third place with 10-7-12.
Regional meet
The winners in the elementary and secondary divisions of the City Olympics will form the Cebu team that will compete in the Central Visayas Regional Athletic Association.
Meanwhile, Paref Springdale overcame the highly-favored ANS, 1-0, to snap ANS’ hold of secondary football.
ANS had a twice-to-beat edge but that failed to help them defend their crown.
ANS started out strong, aggressively attacking the goal but failed to convert their strikes because of the relentless defense of goalkeeper Jose Paulo Pascual.
Carlos Veloso of Springadale scored the only goal of the game in the 48th minute and the team finally won its first ever gold in football.
“I never expected our team to win the championship. I thought we would only place second,” said Ceniza.
In their first win against ANS, Veloso also took advantage of a defensive miscommunication to score the lone goal, forcing the deciding match.
It was a different story in the elementary division as Don Bosco College (DBC) successfully defended its title and destroyed Paref Springdale, 4-0.
DBC, which also enjoyed a twice-to-beat edge, lost in the first game, 4-2, via shootout.
Nonito Salazar of DBC struck the first goal in the 10th minute before Junjay Anthony Arizabal capped the victory with a hat trick.
Arizabal scored in the 29th, 35th and the 49th minute of the game.
Meanwhile, in women’s karatedo, April Marie Campo of University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) grabbed the gold, Paref Springdale’s OJ delos Santos won the gold in Kata.
Campo added another gold in the 48-kg kumite, while UC’s Mary Joyce Bantasan won the gold in the 53-kilo class.
Delos Santos added another gold for Springdale in the 55-kilo kumite, while Artjohn Rosaroso won a gold for UC in the 60-kilo class.
Justin Vistil got the gold for USJ-R in the 65-kilo divison.
In elementary boys taekwondo, Angelo Yap of DBC won the gold medal in Category 1; Kylle John Flores got the gold for Cebu City Central School in Category 2, DBC’s Zosimo Paolo Albor took home the gold in Category 3; Keith Brian Fernandez of Unit 2 topped Category 4 and John Remollo of St. Paul Learning Center got the gold in Category 5.
In the elementary girls division, gold medalists were Don Vicente Rama Memorial School’s Precious Kate Nacorda (Category 1) Charisse Panaginip of UC (Category 2) Hannah Nina Guia of Guadalupe Elementary School (Category 3), Jeah Maglasang of DVRMES (Category 4).
In the secondary division, ANS ROvel Mendoza and Lord Jay Guia ruled the finweight and flyweight divisions, respectively, while UC’s Johm Paul Laguna got the bantamweight gold.
Richard Rama of UV won the featherweight gold, while Pach Anthony Valenzona of USJR took home the gold medal in the welterweight division.
Meanwhile, those who won the gold in the secondary girls divison were Roxan Catadman, Prince Esther Laguna, Jesset Paglinawan, Hazel Tanya Jumawan, Janessa May Vergara and Angelita Dangla .
Tertiary men’s division gold medalists were Daryll Cansancio, Enrico Manuel Morbos, Aude Descartin, Jaypee Payawal and Daniel Sabellon, while the women’s winners were Cathy Bas and Mariecylinda Balbona.
Meanwhile, UC dominated the tertiary chess event and collected eight golds, two silvers and a bronze; Cebu Normal University followed suit with a 2-2-2 tally, while Southwestern University finished at third spot with a lone gold, four silvers and 4.
Cebu Institute of Technology also bagged a gold and two bronzes, while Cebu State College of Science and Technology had a silver and three bronzes.
CNU came on top in the men’s divisions, while UC and SWU finished in second and third spots, respectively.
Darwin Dabasol of UC bagged the gold medal in Board 1, while Jeno Parungao Carlos Coquilla got the silver and bronze, respectively.
The top three players in Board 2 were Philip Paclipan (CNU), Ryan Fil Cortes (CIT), and Dennis Ledesma (SWU), while Gerald Nadera won the gold for UC in Board 3 and Nińo Anthony Austria got the gold in Board 4.
It was an all UC show in the women’s contest after Adelaine Algopera (Board 1), Ramelyn Evaristo (Board 2), Guendolyn Abella (Board 3) and Rayshel Bulanon (Board 4) took the golds.
