BAGUIO City raked in seven more gold medals in taekwondo while arnis piled up 10 gold medals to stay strong in its title retention bid in the ongoing Batang Pinoy National Championships hosted by the Summer Capital.
The highland jins scored the most fruitful medal haul for Baguio as Stephen Timothy Sales started the charge by bagging the gold medal in the junior male finweight category.
Jan Gregory Asiong scored another gold for the city in the lightweight division together with Jhiezer Angelo Fernandez (welter), John Kim Passion (light middle), Adrian Paul Yadao (bantam), and Alexander Gabriel Ogoy (cadet male – light middle).
Keith Andreline Corpuz bagged the lone gold medal in the junior female category after topping the bantamweight division.
In arnis, Cedrick Aaron Calicdan opened the gold medal hunt for the host city with a victory in the individual double weapon while the duo of Jesus Macalanda and Mike Aaron Capsuyen topped the boys’ anyo team event (single weapon).
Capsuyen then joined force with rod Xhedrick Mendoza to win the gold in the anyo team event (open) as Alexandria Dumanas als snatched the top plum in the individual double weapon contest.
Other gold medalist for the city in arnis include Angelo Paet and Kurt Yabes (boys anyo team event single weapon) while Shanna Ruzzle Longan and Angelun Datuin snatched two after topping the girls anyo team double weapon and anyo team open event with Glyzel Garambas and Christine Mae Bartolome closing Baguio’s quest with a victory in anyo team event (single weapon).
Based on the city’s unofficial medal tally, as of 12:30 p.m., Baguio City has already 28 gold medals, 35 silvers and 33 bronze.
But based on the official team standing posted by PSC, Baguio City has 12-19-25 to claim the top spot while Quezon City is currently at second with 11-5-5 while Laguna is third with 11-3-4. Rounding the top five are Pasig City with 9-15-8 and Lucena City having a medal haul of nine golds and four silvers.
Lucena City took the spotlight in the three-day swimming competitions after harvesting 13 gold, four silver and one bronze medal at the Baguio Atheltic Bowl Swimming Pool.
Mervien Jules Mirandilla spearheaded the squad with four gold medals after topping the boys 13-15 200m fly (2:13.12), 100m freestyle (58.38sec), 100m fly (59.92sec) and 50m fly (27.27sec), while teammate Markus Johanne De Kam contributed three golds in boys 12-under 100m free (59.11sec), 50m back (32.27sec) and 200m free (2:10.03).
Laguna Province came in second with 13 golds, two silvers and six bronzes courtesy of four gold medals from Roz Encarnacion in the girls 12-under 200m individual medley (2:40.97), 50m breast (37.33sec), 200m breast (2:55.02) and 100m breast (1:19.70), while Quezon City finished third with 10 golds, four silver and two bronzes – four golds coming from Zoe Hilario in the girls 13-15 200m free (2:17.73), 400m IM (5:44.26), 200m backstroke (2:31.67) and 200m IM (2:38.57).
At the Baguio City National High School gym, Karl Jahrel Eldrew Yulo swept the men’s artistics gymnastics with seven gold medals in the Class 1 division.
Yulo, a 10-year-old Grade 5 student of Aurora Quezon Elementary School, won in the floor exercise (9.10 points), vault (9.55), pommel horse (9.70), parallel bars (9.10), rings (9.15), horizontal bar (9.50) and individual all-around (56.10).
Pasig City’s Rhendz John Castillo ruled the Class 2 division by scooping four gold medals in pommel horse (9.3), rings (8.75), horizontal bar (9.45) and individual all-around (54.55).
In karatedo, Cebu Province pocketed four gold medals courtesy of Rome Metante (14-15 cadet boys advance kata), Elenna Benitez (14-15 cadet girls’ intermediate kata), Janine Narboada (10-11 girls advanced kata) and Precious Avegail Belicario (12-13 girls advanced kata).
Cebu City won three golds from Lloyd Quilaton (8-9 boys intermediate kata), Rowela Barredo (12-13 girls’ intermediate kata) and Gift Loyd Canencia (10-11 boys advanced kata).
At the Baguio Athletic Bowl, Mary Grace Joson of Camarines Sur gained her second gold medal after topping the girls’ javelin throw with a heave of 36 meters on her second attempt.
The 15-year-old Joson, who was the tournament’s first gold medalist after ruling the discus throw on Monday, also went home with a silver medal in shotput.
Also capturing gold medals were Pangasinan’s Arjay Rios in boys javelin throw (52.11m), Cebu City’s Jemar Morales in the boys 2000m steeplechase (6:46.52), Maasim City’s Jerome Acejo in boys shotput (12.98m), Laguna Province’s Magvrylle Matchino in girls 2000m steeplechase (8:04.24) and Jan Rey Gallano in boys 400m hurdles (57.20sec), and Dasmariñas City’s Charlaine Deocampo in girls 400m hurdles (1:05.94). (Roderick Osis)