THE Davao Eagles delegation made a solid start to their Palarong Pambansa 2023 campaign, securing seven gold medals. They earned four golds in swimming, two in arnis, and one in athletics across different venues in Marikina City as of 5 p.m. on Tuesday, August 1.

At the Marikina Sports Center, Davao City swimmers Paolo Miguel Labanon, Liaa Margarette Amoguis, Archibald Nicolas Lonzaga, and Francis Greg Espiritu showcased their excellence by winning in their respective events.

In the secondary boys' 400-meter freestyle event, Labanon secured victory with a remarkable time of four minutes and 12.72 seconds, leaving behind rivals Matthew Thomas Alumbres of Western Visayas (4:21.91) and Anton Paulo Dominick Dela of Ilocos (4:22.18) who settled for the silver and bronze, respectively.

In the secondary girls' 400m individual medley (IM), 16-year-old Amoguis lived up to her reputation, clocking in at 5:28.69 to claim the gold medal. She outperformed Western Visayas' Maria Francesca Barretto (5:31.97) and Soccsksargen's Thea Diane Canda (5:32.51), who secured the next two positions on the podium.

"When I saw the meet program that I was first, I was ecstatic and rushed to my sister. Because before the competition, I was feeling down that I might not get a medal with all the fast swimmers. I even talked to my sister about it," Amoguis said in a Facebook interview with SunStar Davao. "For my time, my strokes could improve. But my time is not so bad. "

She was pertaining to elder sister Lora, also a decorated swimmer.

The younger Amoguis expressed that she didn't anticipate winning, even though she prayed to God for the chance to secure one gold, considering her potential in the 400 IM event.

"But I really wanted to present a medal for Davao. So I was fine if I got a silver or bronze," she said.

Lonzaga, meanwhile, topped the elementary boys 100m backstroke even as Francis Greg Espiritu lorded over other bets in the secondary boys 100m backstroke.

Labanon, Espiritu, Niel Joaquin Tebar and Rain Andrei Tumulac salvaged a bronze in the secondary boys 200m medley relay.

In arnis, Vanessa Orozco of Tagum City captured two golds in secondary girls individual likha anyo espada y daga and doble baston events.

For his part, John Kervy Dianito of Davao City secured the gold in the secondary boys javelin throw event.

Zaharrah Venice Panit got a bronze in the elementary girls high jump event.

In other events, the Davao Eagles secondary girls futsal team escaped past Cagayan Valley, 4-3, to secure its first win while the Rizal Memorial Colleges (RMC)-bannered secondary boys basketball team demolished Western Visayas, 68-58, to secure its first victory.