Batang Pinoy Opener: Marana bags 2 cycling golds

TAGUM CITY, DAVAO Del NORTE, Philippines – Nueva Ecija’s Genesis Marana pulled off a pair of golden feats while Cebu Province’s Moira Frances Erediano and Bukidnon’s Jeana Mariel Canete took the first gold medals staked in cycling at the start of the 2016 Batang Pinoy National Championships here yesterday.

Marana, a cousin of former Marlboro Tour veterans Ariel and Dominador, topped both the girls’ 15-under and 17-U divisions of criterium held in front of the New Tagum City Hall.

She clocked 14 minutes, 34 seconds in the 15-U and then turned in a 23.30-minute effort in 16-17 age bracket to become the first double-gold medal winner in the weeklong talent-search for students and out-of-school youth.

Marana actually started competing in hurdles but shifted her focus to cycling.

“My first sport was really athletics,” said Marana, who copped a bronze in the 100-m hurdles in the 2013 Palarong Pambansa in Dumaguete.

Joseff Miguel Quirino, a 13-year-old Grade Seven San Isidro College student in Malaybalay, Bukidnon, took the games’ first gold by winning the boys’ 10-14 level in 10 minutes flat while Erediano, a 12-year-old Grade Six Sacred Heart-Ateneo de Cebu student, ruled the girls’ 10-13 bracket in 11.40 minutes.

Quirino and Erediano are also actually in cross-training since their original sport is triathlon.

“I’m happy to win in cycling,” said the soft-spoken Erediano, who finished second in the Alaska Ironkids last August while topping her age bracket in the Milo Marathon Regionals the following month.

Jose Emmanuel of Lipa dominated the Category B boys’ section by edging Bryan Cantomayor of Davao City and Godwin Jacob Taylor of Malaybalay in a photo finish. The troika wound up with the same provisional time of 13.02 minutes.

Andrew Kim Relomino, a member of the national triathlon team, failed to win a medal in cycling as he struggled to finish fourth in the boys Category A 16-17 division topped by Lipa City’s Tomas Mojares in 36:54.

Davao del Norte Gov. Anthony del Rosario and Phl Sports Commission chairman William “Butch” Ramirez officially ushered in the event highlighted by the parade of participating LGUs (Local Government Units).

President Duterte and Sen. Manny Pacquiao begged off due to prior commitments.

Meanwhile, centerpiece athletics kicks off today at the DavNor Sports and Tourism Complex with a total of 13 golds up for grabs.

Track and field will start at 7 a.m. with titles to be disputed in the 5000m boys’ 16-17, long jump girls’ 13-15, shot put boys’ 16-17 and high jump boys’ 13-15.

The other finals events at the track are 2000m walk boys’ and girls’ 16-17, long jump boys’ 13-15, shot put girls’ 13-15, high jump girls’ 16-17 and 1500m boys’ and girls’ 16-17 and 13-15 boys’ and girls’ age brackets.

Hostilities in medal-rich swimming also start today at the main hub.

Over at the Energy Park, Zamboanga routed Maragusan, 8-1, in U-17 Group A in baseball while Tupi, South Cotabato turned back Northern Samar, 6-2, in U-17 Group B.