Ilocos trackster cops 2nd gold in record run

BACOLOD CITY–It was another hot, humid day, and another hot, record run.

After breaking the CHED National Palaro record for the gold in the women’s 800-m Sunday, Russel Camero shattered the 400-m record for yet another gold at the melting Panaad Sports Complex track stadium here.

"I worked hard for it. And it’s not easy," said the Ilocos Region entry who clocked 58.50 seconds to break the previous meet record of 59.80 set by Elizabeth Doringo of the National Capital Region in Naga City in 1997.

Camero became the first double-gold winner in this year’s event where close to 3,000 college athletes are competing in 10 sports disciplines. She takes a crack at a third gold today when she competes in the 200-m finals.

Finishing second behind Camero, a Criminology student from Pangasinan, was Mirian Fortunato of the National Capital Region (59.97) followed by Michele Tibagacay of the Cordillera Administrative Region (1:00.27).

Another record was broken in athletics yesterday when Joan Erespe won the gold in the women’s 5,000-m race with a time of 18 minutes 51.48 seconds. The previous mark was 19:16.04 booked by Herminia Penaranda in 1998 here.

Erespe, 22, of NCR, is the UAAP’s 3,000 and 5,000-m. She trailed early then dictated the pace only after the sixth of 12 laps. Liza Yambao of NCR, a certified marathoner, was second (19:05.19) while Monalisa Ambasa of Southern Mindanao was third (19:05.59).

Other athletics golds awarded as of presstime yesterday were the men’s 400-m that went to Jovy Bagacina of Ilocos (49.72), men’s triple jump to Cagayan Valley’s Darion Santos (14.38 ), and women’s triple jump to Loida Abarquez of Central Visayas (10.91).

Twenty-three of the 37 golds in athletics have been disputed heading in today’s final day at the tracks. So far, NCR has won 10 with more expected to come.

Swimming offered 15 gold medals yesterday at the Panaad Sports Complex with only four recorded as of presstime. They are the men’s and women’s 200-m backstroke, men’s 400-m freestyle and women’s 800-m freestyle.

Overall, it’s NCR on top with 12 gold, 13 silver and 11 bronze medals. Also in the medal count are Ilocos (4-1-2), Calabarzon (3-4-3), CAR (2-1-3), Cagayan Valley (2-0-1), S. Mindanao (1-5-3), C. Valley (1-1-0), W. Visayas (1-0-2), W. Mindanao (1-0-0), Cotabato (0-1-2) and Bicol (0-1-0).

Jetro Asis of NCR won the men’s 200-m back in 2:23.37 followed by Calabarzon’s Emmanuel Herrera in 2:27.30 and NCR’s Jeremy Galana in 2:29.00 while the women’s gold went to Myrna Alap of Ilocos in 2:47.13 followed by NCR’s Frances Sapinoso in 2:47.94 and Central Visayas’ Lourdes Diones in 2:48.71.

In the men’s 400-m free it was a 1-2 finish for NCR’s James Abilo (4:46.78) and Carlo Arabejo (4:46.91) with Western Visayas’ Carl Jayme at third (4:47.66). The women’s 800-m free was won by Central Visayas’ Larissa Ang (10:43.87) followed by NCR’s Isah Sueno (10:57.56) and Calabarzon’s Astrud Valdez (11:42.68).

Sixteen more golds will be disputed in today’s last day of swimming.

The NCR squad defeated Central Luzon, 80-74, while Cagayan Valley defeated W. Mindanao, 111-73, to bag the first two semis slots in basketball. In football, it was Calabarzon over Cotabato, 3-1, and Western Visayas over N. Mindanao, 6-1. In softball, it was NCR over C. Luzon, 11-0, and S. Mindanao over C. Visayas, 7-4.

Notes: For those who do not know him, Claro Bellosis would look like an old, ordinary, gray-haired man. He’s not. What they do not know is that Bellosis, a 69-year-old who’s looking over the athletics competition in this year’s CHED National Palaro, is a two-time Olympian. He represented the Philippines in the 4 x 100-m relays of the 1960 Rome and 1964 Tokyo Olympics with teammates Pedro Subido, Enrique Bautista, Rogelio Onofre, and the late Remeo Vista and Isaac Gomez. Their Olympic stints were part of their rewards for winning the 4 x 100-m gold in both the 1958 Tokyo and 1962 Jakarta Asian Games. "I can still remember my first Olympics. It was in Rome," he said yesterday during a break in competition. "There were 45 Filipino athletes but our delegation was made up of over a hundred. There were more officials. You know what I mean?" he added. But the difference between then and now, he said, is that most of the officials with them spent their own money for plane tickets and accommodation. "I think it’s different now," he said. Bellosis will turn 70 in November but has never lost his wit. "Ayoko na kasi ng sixty-nine. Hindi na uso. May otso-otso na eh," he winked.