SAN VICENTE, Ilocos Sur -- "Show them a fight that they will never forget."
That's what Juliana Marien Villanueva of Davao City told herself when she swam her way to a record-breaking performance for Davao Region Athletic Associaiton (Davraa) in secondary girls 800-meter finals event at the President Elpidio Quirino Stadium in Bantay, Ilocos Sur Thursday afternoon, April 19.
Indeed, it was an unforgettable swim for the 13-year-old Precious International School of Davao (PISD) student who erased the 2010 record of Erika Kristy Lukang of Calabarzon Region.
Villanueva clocked a total of nine minutes and 45.40 seconds to register a new Palaro record, smashing the 9:48.12 mark of Lukang eight years ago.
"It's very overwhelming!" she told Sun.Star Davao in a Facebook Live interview.
She showed different emotions - crying when she remembered the rigors of training and laughing when recalled how she made her coach Jun Rodriguez angry. The latter, by the way, promised Villanueva that he would shave his head if she wins a gold.
The Dabawenya champion shared: "Sometimes I make my coach angry. Many times I cried during training. I really wanted to win this gold because I wanted to show them something that I can be the best. I prayed so hard to God, I trained so hard for this."
The silver went to Gwyneth Amber Cawaling of Western Visayas (9:50.34) while Janella Lin of Ilocos Region got the bronze (9:51.52).
Villanueva's golden feat was the ninth for Davraa after the secondary arnis team harvested four golds while the secondary wushu team added one gold, three silvers and one bronze in separate venues in this Heritage Province after the fourth day of competition as of yesterday presstime.
She also struck a silver in 400m freestyle Tuesday.
The elementary girls chess team earlier won two golds while the elementary boys taekwondo team added one gold.
Eirron Seth Vibar got a bronze in secondary boys 800m freestyle while Ivo Nikolai Enot and Lora Micah Amoguis salvaged bronzes in elementary boys and girls 50m backstroke.
Last Wednesday, Amoguis copped two silvers in elementary girls 200m individual medley (IM) and elementary girls 400m medley relay while Enot captured a silver in elementary boys 200m IM.
Gold haul
Arnisadors Harrison Cerillo (half lightweight), Mary Gwyneth Lim (pinweight), Amena Madid (bantamweight) and Daphne Mae Bactong (featherweight) survived past strong opposition to clinch gold in their respective categories at the San Vicente Municipal Gym in Ilocos Sur.
Cerillo, incoming Grade 11 student at Tagum City National High School, annexed the secondary boys half light weight gold to improve his bronze finish last year in Legazpi Palaro.
He said in an interview with Sun.Star Davao Facebook Live that the championship match was a crucial one as he has to recover from his second round loss. "Ningkamot jud ko na makabawi sa iyaha (I just did my best to bounce back)."
It was his fourth Palaro stint. The first time was in Laguna where he also won a gold then he settled for bronzes in his next two editions in Tagum City and Albay.
Cerillo hopes to defend his Palaro gold in Davao City next year.
Lim, who will be a Grade 10 student at TCNHS in June, avenged herself after a dismal performance last year.
She said, "Kulba jud kaayo wala ko mag-expect nga mudaug. Naningkamot ra ko, nagpray ko na makaya nako buhaton tanan (I was nervous and I did not expect to win. I was determined and I pray that I could do everything to win)."
Lim tightened her defense so her opponent from Central Visayas could not hit her. She described her rival as an aggressive attacker.
Madid, who will be a Grade 11 student at F. Bustamante National High School in June, could not even remember how she won. "Akong faith sa Ginoo, sya lang gyud akong gipalihok sa akong sarili (I just entrusted to God my fight)."
She competed in her last Palaro, her second since 2013 while she was an elementary athlete.
Davao City National High School's Bactong, 16, said she was intimidated by her opponent but she made sure to score first and attack more.
Lone champ
Roni Marielle Santiago defended her secondary girls wushu 52-kilogram gold over Western Visayas bet Angelica Saludares who ended up with the silver.
Santiago, a senior high school graduate at the Ateneo de Davao University, said she felt the pressure to retain her crown.
She again faced the opponent she also defeated in last year's Palaro.
"Nag-meet kami ulit. Ginamitan ko sya ng technique, ginamit ko sipa kasi mas lamang yun sa puntos. Yung nakafinals ko kasi more on punching," she said in an interiew.
Santiago added she is ending her Palaro fulfilled having not lost any match.
Davraa's silvers were courtesy of Alebasherfahad Mohammad (boys 48 kg), Hannah Michelle Elegio (girls 45 kg) and Philip Jacob Parreño (boys 48 kg) while Jeah Alexes Narra had a bronze in girls 48 kg.
Meanwhile, five Davao City boxers advanced to the semifinals set Thursday evening at the Plaza Burgos - Lester John Yanis, Christian Betonio, JM Diocares, Jerald Fabricante and Kim Macaangga.