PUERTO PRINCESA, Palawan – Western Visayas took two of the first three gold medals to underscore its bid for the overall championship in the secondary division as action in the Palarong Pambansa unfurled in all fronts at the Ramon V. Mitra, Jr. Sports Complex here yesterday.
Sharmaine Joy Bucaling and Ralph Efream Gesulgon dominated javelin throw in their respective divisions as they provided the early sparks for Region VI’s attempt to reclaim the overall high school championship it last won six years ago in Naga City.
Bucaling, 18, finally won the elusive gold following failed bids in 2006 in Naga and in Koronadal, South Cotabato last year, posting a 33.95-meter throw, way past the 32.09m by Richelda Pepito of Mimaropa and the 31.86m of Bicol’s Jencell Candelaria.
The 15-year-old Gesulgon, for his part, took the gold in the boys’ side with a 49.59m throw, besting John Paul Chinyuna of Cagayan Valley, who had 48.22m, and Banjo Samson of Northern Mindanao, who made 47.47m, for the javelin sweep by the Western Visayan bets.
“I never lost hope, I just kept trying. I’m glad I won it before I go to college,” said Bucaling, an incoming freshman at the Western Institute of Technology in Iloilo in Filipino.
While Bucaling won it on her final year, Gesulgon, won it on his first year of competition.
“I’m happy I won it on my rookie year,” said Gesulgon, a freshman at Kirayan National High School back home in Valencia, Maiag-ao in Iloilo.
Michael Calayo of Central Luzon leaped to 6.98m to snatch the high school long jump gold over a field that included Ariel Magayon of Calabarzon and Ramjay Carado of Davao, who had 6.65m and 6.47m, to settle for the silver and bronze medals, respectively.
While the Big City bets were surprisingly quiet at the tracks, the NCR teams in basketball, softball and volleyball got off to impressive starts.
In basketball, NCR, composed of three-time NCAA champion San Sebastian, leaned on overpowering performances of Ryan Buenafe and Arvie Bringas as it mowed down Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, 91-39, to open its title-retention campaign on a high note.
Davao downed Caraga, 79-68, in the only other basketball result at press time.
NCR was as merciless in softball as its Miriam College-led team beat Cagayan Valley while its volleyball team edged arch rival Western Visayas, 25-23, 25-22.
In other softball results, Cordillera Administrative Region downed Eastern Visayas, 10-8, before the former turned back Mimaropa, 25-15, 24-26, 25-19, in volleyball.
In secondary baseball, Bicol overcame a final inning rally to trounced CAR, 6-5, while Calabarzon smothered ARMM, 10-0.