CENTRAL VISAYAS’ Jhul Ian Cañalita clinched his second gold at the 2025 Palarong Pambansa, dominating the secondary boys’ 3,000-meter steeplechase at the Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr. Memorial Stadium in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte, on Wednesday, May 28.
Cañalita, representing Ta-buan National High School in Bohol, clocked in at 9:23.29, shattering the previous best record of 9:35.2 set by Jerry Vasquez of Central Luzon during the 2019 Palarong Pambansa.
Jerico Cadag of Calabarzon also surpassed the old record with a time of 9:33.30, earning him the silver medal. Elmer Dizon of Cagayan Valley settled for the bronze with a 9:38.19 finish.
Moving to archery, Naina Dominique Tagle of Dumaguete City and Nina Mae Khylie De los Reyes of Cebu City Don Carlos A. Gothong Memorial National High School secured a 1-2 finish in the secondary girls’ 30m event. Leila Jell Cano of Ilocos took home the bronze.
Tagle, a student of Silliman University, also topped the 50m distance competition, with Cano placing second and Cassandra Louise Enecio of National Capital Region (NCR) finishing third.
Silver, bronze winners
In swimming, Silliman University’s Kacie Gabrielle Tionko clinched the silver in the secondary girls’ 200m Individual Medley with a time of 2:31.16.
Patricia Mae Santor of NCR won the gold by only .04 seconds, finishing in 2:31.12, while Maxene Hayley Uy of Western Visayas claimed the bronze at 2:33.22.
The tandem of Jhamaica Jones Labrador from Cabancalan National High School in Mandaue City and Gabriel David Misa of the University of Cebu secured the silver medal in the secondary table tennis mixed doubles.
Venedict Kail Soriano of Tejero National High School in Cebu City added to Central Visayas’ medal count in the secondary boys’ artistic gymnastics, winning the bronze medal in the vaulting table event.
NCR’s King CJay Pernia and Hillarion Palles took the gold and silver, respectively.
Sharmin Parba of Talisay City National High School also contributed a bronze for the region in the secondary girls’ 8-ball billiards. Via Mendoza of NCR won the gold, while Maria Gretha Delector of Cagayan Valley took the silver.
Taekwondo jin Earl Gabrielle Ubay of University of San Carlos-South in Cebu City also won a bronze for Central Visayas in the secondary boys’ Category 1 kyorugi event. / SunStar Cebu Sports