Cebu Blue Marlins dominate Iligan National Age-Group swimfest

The Cebu Blue Marlins Swimming Club shimmered with success after topping the 2006 Iligan Aqua Swimming Association National Age-Group Championships in Timoga, Iligan City.

Adding feathers on their cap, CBMSC also saw five of its promising bers romping away with the Most Outstanding Swimmer awards in their respective divisions.

The CBMSC of coach Rolando Alvarez bagged the championship with 35 gold, 25 silver, and 18 bronze medals that translated into a total of 1,775 points.

Host Iligan Spring Eels finished second with 35 golds, 25 silvers and 18 bronzes, while the Zamboanga Aqua Force landed at this with 33-16-16 gold-silver-bronze medal count.

Filling up the fourth to ninth spot were Tangub Aqua Force with 501 points ( 15-9-20), Cagayan de Oro Aquatics with 484 points (2-20-20), Cagayan Blue Sharks with 301 points (2-5-14), Iligan Gay Sharks with 203.5 points (3-5-4), Koronadal Dolphins Angels with 157 points (2-3-4) and Cagayan de Oro Aqua Knights with 73 points (1-1-3).

Andrew Dequina of the University of Cebu led CBMSC's charge with nine golds, five silvers and two bronzes. That made him as the unanimous choice for the best swimmer in the men's 18 class.

Dequina fished out his golds in the 100m, 200m and 400m individual medley, and in the 50m, 100m and 200m backstroke and breaststroke events. In the distaff side, Beverly Vasig shone the brightest also with nine golds in the 100m IM, and in the 50m and 100m backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly and freestyle events.

Diane Cañeda also lived up to the expectations after ruling the girls 15-17 class also with nine golds from the same events Vasig competed.

Not to be outdone, Diane's sister,Trina, emerged as the best swimmer in the girls 9-10 class.

Trina collected a total of seven golds via the 100m IM, backstroke, freestyle, backstroke, and butterfly events.

The fifth MOS awardee from CBMSC is Karen Mae Indaya, a Kinder 2 pupil of Labangon Elementary School. She raked in five golds in the 6-under class.

Indaya got her golds from the 25m breaststroke, backstroke and butterfly events.

The rest who chipped in medals for CBMSC were siblings Michael David and Paula Abigail Vega, Antonio Yana Anthony Navarro II, Lyh Ann Navarro and Anthony Lin Navarro, Noel Cañeda, Patricia Mae Baguio, BethMay Arellano, and Jonjon Cadavos.