Unso blazes to fame in Palaro

TARLAC PROVINCE , Philippines  – National Capital Region’s Patrick Unso anchored his relay teams to twin victories, including one in record fashion, to emerge the best trackster with four golds even as Rizza Desiree Garcia, also of NCR, dominated rhythmic gymnastics for another year to complete a six-gold sweep in the penultimate day of the Palarong Pambansa yesterday.

The 16-year-old Unso led his team to the gold medal in the 4x100m relay in 43.24 seconds at the Tarlac Recreational Park here, erasing the 43.60 mark set by Southern Tagalog in Lingayen, Pangasinan 15 years ago.

It was Unso’s third new record this year, after shattering the marks in the 110m and 400m hurdles earlier in the week.

“It’s overwhelming, I’m really thankful to the Lord for giving me this blessing,” said Unso in tears as he hugged his father Renato, a former Palaro champion, who trained him to become what he is now.

Unso later powered NCR’s 4x400m relay squad to another gold to complete a four-gold medal harvest.

Francisco Valdecano, a 17-year-old NCR bet, also stole the thunder as he came out of nowhere to submit a 4.05m effort in pole vault to smash not just the meet record but the national junior mark as well.

The old Palaro meet record was 3.80m set by Christian Chua of Southern Tagalog in Ilagan, Isabela 17 years ago while the RP junior mark of 4.00m was also registered by Chua in the Philippine National Games in Manila a year later.

Western Visayas’ Maika de Oro, making up for lost time in last year’s edition in Tacloban City where she won the discus throw gold but couldn’t break the meet mark, struck back as she ripped her own record of 32.62m she set in Puerto Princesa, Palawan two years ago with a 36.00m heave.

The day also belonged to Garcia, who retained the rhythmic gymnastics crown as she won in ball, ribbon, rope and hoop events at the Hacienda Luisita Country Club for a stirring six-gold sweep.

It was the second straight feat by Garcia, who earlier won in individual all around and team events, after accomplishing the same in Tacloban City last year.

Central Visayas’ Daniel Noval, for his part, reasserted his mastery over archrival Jan Mark Mucho of Western Visayas as he ruled the 200m dash in 22.19 seconds to match the 12-year-old mark Ronald Caluanan of Cagayan Valley set in Centennial edition in Bacolod City.

Catherine Bondad, a puny 12-year-old girl from San Pablo, Laguna, topped the 50m freestyle in 29.59 to complete a sweep of the freestyle event following earlier triumphs in 100m, 200m and 400m.

Gabriel Lorenzo Castelo and Gian Daniel Berino nailed their fourth golden efforts after they steered NCR’s 4x100m freestyle relay team to victory in 3:48.83, which broke the five-year mark of 3:44.78 by the Ryan Arabejo-led squad also of NCR in Iloilo City.

Berino, who won two golds, is a product of the Aquatic Sports Association of the Philippines.

But it was Unso, who stood out in another hot and humid day.

Less than an hour after steering the 4x100m relay team of Luis Miguel de Jesus, Rogemar Umingan and Joseph Capinpin to a record-setting win, Unso buckled down to work and anchored the 4x400m squad of de Jesus, Umingan and Eric Perucho to a another victory – his fourth gold in what could go down as one of the best efforts in the history of the meet.

“I wouldn’t have done it if not for my father,” said Unso referring to former Gintong Alay star, also holder of the national hurdle mark.

For De Oro, who totally outclassed the field that included eventual silver and bronze medal winners Sarah Sunga of the NCR (29.84) and Jansel May Caeveria of Bicol (29.25m), it was her third straight golden effort in the same event.

“The condition of the venue is better this year compared to last year,” said De Oro in Filipino.

It was a sweet win for Noval, who completed a sprint double following his victory in the century dash where he also duplicated Caluanan’s feat to become the meet’s fastest athlete.

Vanessa del Valle of Calabarzon, a Sister of Mary student in Carmona, Cavite, reigned supreme in 1500m (4:58.78) and 3,000m (10:45.13) in consecutive days while Eloisa Luzon of Northern Mindanao struck in the 200m where she timed 25.94.

Calabarzon, which fielded in reigning NCAA champion San Beda, zeroed in on its first gold medal as it dethroned last year’s winner NCR with an emphatic 94-73 win in Concepcion, Tarlac.

The Red Cubs thus set up a title showdown against today’s winner between Central Visayas and Western Visayas at 8:30 a.m. in the final where they hope to strike their first gold since getting relocated from the Big City to Taytay, Rizal five years back.

“We’re getting closer and closer to our goal of giving Calabarzon its first basketball gold, we’re just one step away,” an ecstatic Brit Reroma, an understudy of retired multi-titled coach now San Beda athletic director Ato Badolato, told The STAR.

In archery, Marie Crizabelle Merto of Central Visayas ruled the secondary girls Olympic round to join the elite quadruple gold medal winners’ club at the Victoria National High School multi-purpose hall in Victoria, Tarlac.

Carl Buenaventura of NCR pocketed the boys’ Olympic round gold as he edged Romeo Betache of Central Visayas by a hairline of a margin 89.9-89.8.

Over at the Tarlac Christian College in Tarlac City, Davao won all but one of the five gold medals staked in the country’s national sport, arnis, thanks to wins by Jezebel Morcillo (pin weight), Monce Bucol (fly), Maria Strella Sapap (feather) and Melani Merto (extra light).

Jaylyn Panganiban prevented a sweep by topping the bantamweight class to give host Central Luzon something to cheer about in this multi-sports event for elementary and high school students sponsored by Smart.

Davao also snatched a gold in secondary boys full contact event in arnis courtesy of featherweight Uliver Alisbo while Jayar Acut of Northern Mindanao (bantam), John Bautista and Vendelle Magdael of Western Visayas (extra light and pin) and Fidel Junta of Central Luzon (fly) took the rest of the mints at stake here.

Cotabato Region, for its part, struck the hardest in boxing, a sport where the country has the strongest chance of capturing its first Olympic gold, after pin weight Kim Jay Labuaya and light fly Roldan Boncules topped their respective divisions.

Matthew Jagmis of Mimaropa edged Cesar Hermedella of Western Visayas, 5-2, Philip Luis Cuerpo of NCR trounced Anthony Sumagaysay of Cotabato Region, 12-7, and Jason Baracay bested Jason Jamper of Caraga, 6-2, to account for other boxing victories.

The Big City’s Wilfredo Pelongco III overpowered Central Visayas’ Hipolito Banal, younger brother of current super flyweight contender AJ, 6-3, to rule the elementary ant weight class while Renz Orcada of Western Visayas turned back Rodel Dona of Mimaropa, 1-0, to reign in the kiddie weight.

In men’s artistic gymnastics, Jay Franz Villegas emerged the men’s artistic gymnastics individual all around golden boy and then led his team that included Reyland Capellan and Marc Capistrano to the team mint.

In table tennis, the Big City survived a fierce challenge by Central Visayas and came out with a 3-2 win to rule the boys’ team event while Calabarzon had a surprisingly easier time in beating Western Visayas, 3-0, to cop the girls’ team gold.

Defending secondary volleyball titlist Western Visayas, represented by La Salle-Bacolod anew, eked out a 19-25, 26-24, 25-15 decision over Calabarzon at the Ecumenical College gym in Tarlac City.

The win thus set up Western Visayas for another return match with NCR, a team it beat in five sets thanks to nine straight service winners by now sophomore Gizelle Tan in the deciding fifth set.

“We hope to repeat this year but we known its going to be tougher than expected,” said WV coach Marilou “Melot” Lozada, who is also La Salle-Bacolod’s college athletic director.