THE Negros Island Region Athletic Association (Niraa) won four golds, one silver, and two bronzes for a second place ranking as of 8 p.m. Monday, April 24, in the ongoing 2017 Palarong Pambansa in Antique.
Niraa is far behind powerhouse National Capital Regional Athletic Association (NCRAA), with a medal count of 19 gold medals, 13 silvers and 6 bronze medals.
In third place is Central Visayas Regional Athletic Association (CVRAA) with three golds, one silver, and three bronzes.
NIR’s 13-year-old Kiana Marie Alagaban of Bacolod Tay Tung High School won the elementary individual all-around gymnastics event as Negros Island settle for silver in the team competition.
Cesar Fernandez of NIR also captured the gold in the secondary boy’s high jump at 1.90 meters in his first attempt beating Kent Celeste of Ilocos Region, who posted a similar 1.90 meters but cleared the horizontal bar in his second attempt good for silver. Ernie Calipay of Central Visayas took the bronze (1.85 meters).
James Lozanes of host Western Visayas established a new meet record in the secondary boys’ javelin throw and Jay Ann Labanosa of Northern Mindanao became the first gold medalist of Palaro when she ruled the lung-busting secondary girls’ 3,000 meter run.
Lozanes, 17, pride of Antique posted his record breaking throw of 59.46 meters on his third attempt, eclipsing the four-year old record of Central Luzon’s Bryan Pacheco (57.81) recorded in 2013.
“I’m so happy. My coach just told me to do my best, and I did it,” said Labanosa in the vernacular.
Labanosa, fifth of eight siblings of a farmer, clocked 10:36.67 minutes for the win and her first gold in the Palaro.
The Grade 11 pride of Manolo Fortich (Bukidnon), was with the second-pack of runners, until she made her move on the last lap and overtook fellow Northern Mindanaon, Jie Ann Calis, the meet holder and now representing the NCR.
Calis settled for silver (10:41.15), while Maria Junalisa Abutas of Ilocos Region took the bronze (10:44.68).
Other winners in the secondary boy’s javelin throw were Ronald Lacson (Western Visayas), who took the silver at 57.30 meters while Northern Mindanao’s Manny Maquiling settled for bronze with 54.66 meters.
In shot put girls’ elementary, Southern Tagalog’s Maria Sally San Jose took home the gold at 10.70 meters, Rhealyn Decosta of Western Visayas silver (9.98 meters); while Northern Mindanao Juwelisa Sarabosing got the bronze (9.43 meters). <(With reports from PNA)