Tuesday, June 10, 2008 Evangelista tankers rule swimfest By Marianne Saberon-Abalayan
HOST Evangelista Aquatics Swim Club (EASC) amassed a total of 290 points to emerge as over-all champion in the 6th Mindanao Age-Group Novice Swimming Meet that ended Sunday at the Woodridge Park and Country Club in Maa, Davao City.
Darren Evangelista of EASC said this is the first time his swim team ended up champion in the six years of the competition.
"I'm so happy and proud of our swimmers," Evangelista said.
The Polomolok Aqua Sprinters Swim Club (PASSC) garnered 201 points to grab the runner-up honors while Aquatierra and Dadiangas Torpedoes Swimming Club (DTSC) of General Santos City shared the third spot with identical 176 points.
Finishing behind were the South Cotabato Aquatics Swimming Association (Scasa) with 113 points; SEA Lion Swim Club (SLSC), 111; Panabo Aquatics Swimming Club (PASC), 104; Plunge and Swim, 96; Panabo City Swimming Club (PCSC), 95; Grexine Swimming Team, 38; and Yellow Fins Swimming Club, 32.
EASC's eight-year-old tanker Andrea Camille Benignos was named most outstanding swimmer in the girls 7-8 category. She captured two gold medals (25-meter backstroke and 25m breastroke) and two silvers (25m freestyle and 25m butterfly).
In the point system, a gold medal is equivalent to nine points while silver is seven, bronze six, fourth place five, fifth place four, sixth place three, seventh place two, and eighth place one point.
PCSC's Marybeth Buyco was most outstanding swimmer in the girls 15 and over category with 34 points from her three golds (50m freestyle, 50m backstroke and 50m butterfly) and one silver. Her teammate Ayla Annelu Lenaugo got three silvers in 50m freestyle, backstroke, and butterfly events.
The other top performers were Scasa's Charissa Buenafe (girls six-under) and Earl Tablizo (boys 9-10), PCSC's Antonio Luis Balagot (boys six-under), DTSC's Moniel Villanueva (boys 7-8) and Luigi Palacios (boys 13-14), PASSC's Rosean Claire Palmes (girls 9-10), Dannah Sadiang-Abay and Xandra Marie Macabacyao (girls 11-12) and Rechel Scy Jayme (girls 13-14), Plunge and Swim's Gerard Antoni Velasco (boys 11-12), Alexa Ashley Tomawis (girls 11-12) and Aqua Tierra's Jed Jofil Mahinay (boys 15-over).
A total of 119 swimmers saw action in the Pasa and FINA-governed tournament sponsored by Coke, Zeeplus, Poweraid, and Speedo.
