ILAGAN CITY -- Parañaque City banked on Micaela Jasmine Mojdeh and Mark Bryan Dula to dominate the swimming competition of the Philippine Sports Commission’s (PSC) Batang Pinoy Luzon leg on Thursday, March 21, at the Isabela Sports Complex pool.
The 12-year-old Mojdeh topped the girls 13-15 200m butterfly in the final day of the swimming event to match the five gold-medal haul of Dula in the boys 12-under category of the event organized by the PSC for in-school and out-of-school children aged 15 and below.
The Immaculate Heart of Mary College-Paranaque swimmer submitted 2:25.74 to beat Laguna Province’s Mariah Genara Ubaldo (2:38.88) and Puerto Princesa City’s Maglia Jaye Dignadice (2:43.69) for her fifth gold medal in the weeklong meet.
“Masayang-masaya dahil natalo ko po ang mas matatatandang kalaban ko,” said Mojdeh, who previously ruled the 200m and 400m individual medley and the 50m and 100m butterfly events. “Kahit dikit-dikit ang tournaments na sinalihan ko, naka-limang golds pa rin ako. Mag-prepare naman kami ngayon sa Palarong Pambansa.”
Also shining in the pool event was 12-year-old Aubrey Tom as the Cainta Rizal tanker swept her last two events, the 50m butterfly and 50m freestyle to hike her haul to five golds in her first Batang Pinoy stint.
“I’m very satisfied with my swim here. I hope I can improve my time in my events,” said the Grade 6 student of International Learning Academy who previously bagged three gold medals in Day 1 of swimming competition last Tuesday.
Sharing the limelight were tracksters from Pangasinan Province led by Rufo Adrian Reguine and Juntine Angelo Munoz.
The 15-year old Reguine copped his second gold in athletics after beating his rivals in the boys triple jump event with 13.28 meters, beating Camarines Sur’s Gilbert Andrei Velasco (13.10) and Ligao City’s Rex BJ Banzuelo (12.53).
“Masaya dahil first time sa Batang Pinoy, nakadalawang gold na,” said Reguine, a Grade 8 student of St. Anthony Abbot Academy in Villasis, Pangasinan. He previously won the gold in the long jump with a distance of 6.63 meters.
Munoz, a Grade 8 student of Virgen Milagrosa University Foundation in San Carlos, emerged as the faster male runner of the event with a clocking of 11.2 seconds, edging Pasig City’s John Dave Magtangob (11.14) and Franz Michael Matos of San Fernando, Pampanga (11.76).
Zambales Province’s Janine Ledina was also a double-gold medalist in athletics after topping the girls javelin throw event on Thursday at the City of Ilagan Sports Complex with a distance of 34.23 meters, beating Dasmariñas City’s Irene Lamoste (31.18) and Pangasinan Province’s Gennalyn Estrada (30.71). (PR)