Echavez shatters 10-year old swim marks

Palarong Pambansa 2006 swimming gold medallist Loren Dale Echavez made giant waves when she shattered two 10-year old swimming records yesterday in the second day of the 11th Milo Little Olympics at the Cebu City Aquatic Center.

This happened as defending champion University of Cebu (UC) Webmasters and Cebu City Central School padded their leads in their respective divisions.

The Webmasters carted away 24 gold, 17 silver and 14 bronze medals to remain on top of the secondary division.

Thanks to its track and field and swim teams, and table netters Jennifer Jacalan and Candy Babalcon, who won the doubles' gold in the girls' division as Jeoffrey Apas and Benedict Gantuangko claimed the gold in the boys' side.

Finweight Joan Bernardo also prevented UC from a gold medal black-out in taekwondo after overpowering Negros Occidental's Stephanie Samonte.

USC-South Campus, powered by Echavez, zoomed to second place with 7-3-1 while the University of the Visayas-Mandaue and Cebu City Don Carlos Gothong MNHS is at third and fourth spot with an identical 3-2-2.

Camp Lapu-Lapu NHS is at fifth place with 3-2-1.

In the elementary level, Cebu City Central School pads its lead with 9 gold, 3 silver and 2 bronze medals.

Defending champion Sacred Heart School-Jesuit climbed from ninth to second place with 6-3-6 courtesy of their swimmers, tracksters and two badminton players who made a big impact in the singles competition.

Labangon ES placed third with 4-2-2, Sotero Cabahug Forum for Literacy at fourth spot with 4 gold medals and a silver and Mandaue City Central School at fifth place with 3-2-2.

Record Breakers

Echavez of the University of San Carlos-South Campus started her record-breaking feat yesterday in the 400m freestyle event, when she finished the race in four minutes and 56.87 seconds to erase the mark of 5:09.93 made by Khawinda Khun in 1996.

The 13-year-old Echavez then went on to clock 28.80 seconds in the 50m freestyle to shatter another mark of Khun which stood at 29.09, also made in the 1996 edition.

Her record-breaking spree ended in the 100m freestyle with a time of 1:08.53, to improve the mark of 1:08.59 made by Karina Villanueva in 2005.

But she went on to win six gold medals including the team gold as a member of the 400m medley relay along with Patricia Solon, Cynanil Gonzales and Alex Valderama.

Another USC bet, John Solon, also grabbed the limelight when he improved the record in the 400m IM from 5:42.45 made by Ruben Suerte in 1996 to 5:33.76.

The girls team of the USC-South Campus also made their mark in the 400m freestyle relay squad, established a record of 5:03.54 to erase the old record of 5:06.64 made by the University of San Jose-Recoletos in 2004.

The swimming team of UC, on the other hand, was not to be left behind as well as they now own the boys' 400m freestyle relay's record after clocking 4:24.72.

Athletics

A runner from Camp Lapu-Lapu National High School shattered the invincibility of the Webmasters when he single-handedly claimed two gold medals in the track and field events.

Jundel Bastatas of Camp Lapu-Lapu eked out contrasting victories in the 800 and 3,000m steeplechase events.

He clocked 2:15.99 to claim the gold medal in the 800m, nipping Junrey Andales of UC, who arrived home 2:16.00. Another UC jock, Francis Edar was this in 2:16.55.

Early in the morning, he scored an easy victory in the 3,000m steeplechase with a time of 11:16.53, relegating Carl Jeannette Malazarte of UC to second place in 11:25.90.

But still, the Webmasters had the last laugh of the day as they claimed eight of the 10 gold medals staked with sprinters Lindley Navaja and Lera dela Calzada leading the way with their victories in the 200m dash.

Navajo submitted a time of 24.73 seconds while dela Calzada made 27.55 seconds.

The other gold medal winners for UC were Lance Jasper Basister and Stepanie Sanico (discus throw), Sheena Gacayan (800 and 3,000) and Dharl Pitogo and Irin Baluran (long jump).

The elementary division gold medallists were Lemuel Ortega of City Central and Kate Eunice Abu of Labangon (discus throw), Arnold Permale of Mandaue and Michelle Getizo of San Nicholas (200m), Kenneth Virgil Monzon of Sacred Heart School-Jesuit and Sarah Mae Napoles of City Central (long jump), Ylrade Cuerbo of City Central and Rubie Ann Dable of Talamban (800m), Elmer Taboada of Labangon (110m and 400m hurdles), Abigail Flores of Bo. Luz (100m hurdles) and Kresha Lerion of Labogon (400m hurdles).

Other Events

In the other action, the football event saw Cebu City Central School humiliating Springdale, 3-1, to earn a ticket to the finals.

CCCS will be facing the winner between defending champion Don Bosco College and Sacred Heart School-Jesuit.

The secondary division has defending champion DBC proceeding to the semifinal against Paref-Springdale after silencing Mandaue, 7-0, while the latter got a 2-0 win against Blessed John.

Also, Abellana National School dumped USJ-R to advance to the next round against SHS-J, which blanked Bright Academy, 6-0.'

In sepak takraw, its unheralded Sangat HS which is leading the cast along with Cabancalan NHS with two wins each while sipa saw Barrio Luz, Inayawan, City Central, and Tisa II staying unbeaten after two games.