Luzon cops PRISAA title: Turns back NCR’s last day surge

ANGELES City – Luzon picked up 13 of 14 gold medals in athletics and nine in swimming to survive National Capital Region (NCR) surge and wrap up its first national championships in many years at the close of the Private Schools Athletic Association (PRISAA) yesterday.

After seizing the top spot Thursday with an impressive production in track and field, the Luzon bets almost went perfect as they swept all but one event, the finals in the women’s discus throw, before they averted NCR’s sweep at the pool with victories in men’s 50-meter freestyle, 400 and 200 medley relay.

Luzon’s final day production was more than enough to cushion the big city athletes’ gold rush on the way to their first overall title since the inception of the sporting event for private schools in 1956.

Luzon finished the sports conclave, shortened to four days, with a total of 79-55-51 gold-silver-bronze medals, while NCR was runner-up with a 70-81-60, Visayas third with a 55-30-50 and Mindanao fourth with 25-59-76.

Former national PRISAA president and now newly-installed chairman Emmanuel Angeles described the four-day meet a success as he lauded all regional directors and officials for making the revival possible despite the short notice.

Last Thursday, five records were reset and seven more were broken Friday including the women’s 1,500-meter run where the five-foot Blessy Pairat replaced the 5.15.4 norm of Anatalla Indoso with a 5:12.4 run.

Pairat’s record-triumph installed her as the meet’s other double gold medallist after Cresencio Sabal also of Luzon.

NCR romped off with 18 golds in swimming and title-victories both in the men and women’s basketball after University of Santo Tomas defeated Southwestern, 90-72, and Adamson University won over University of Mindanao, 97-71.

Women’s volleyball likewise went to NCR which defeated Mindanao, 25-20, 22-25, 25-16, 25-17.

But the Visayans took the men’s volleyball by winning over Luzon, 25-23, 25-15, 25-18. Baseball also went to Visayas as Southwestern nipped Luzon’s University of Eastern Philippines, 4-3.