Diesto sparks Bacolod charge in B Pinoy leg

MANILA, Philippines - Bacolod City captured 14 of the 30 gold medals disputed in athletics with sprint princess Mary Diesto winning five in the Batang Pinoy 2011 Visayas qualifying leg in Dumaguete City at the track and field oval of the Gov. Mariano Perdices complex yesterday.

The 14-year-old Diesto ruled the girls’ 100m dash in 13.20 seconds to emerge the fastest female runner then took the golds in the long jump (5.03 meters), triple jump (10.77m), 4x100m relay and classical relay for Bacolod City to emerge the most bemedalled trackster.

“I want to become a national player,” said Diesto, a second-year student from Tay Tung High School, also named the “fastest girl” in the youth category in the recent POC-PSC National Games.

At press time, Diesto, who holds the Palarong Pambansa record in the elementary triple jump which she posted in 2009 in Tarlac, is going for her sixth gold medal in the 4x400m relay as Bacolod City stepped up its bid for the overall championship.

Meanwhile, 15-year-old Raul Perez Jr., a third-year high school of University of Cebu, bagged three gold medals after topping the boys’ 100m dash (12.0), boys’ 110m low hurdles and the boys’ 200m dash.

Perez timed 16.3 seconds in the boys’ 110m low hurdles before clocking 24.20 seconds for a split second victory in the 200m dash against Miguel Guevarra of Bacolod City.

Guevarra, however, won three golds in the 400m run (53.6), 4x100 relay (2:10:08) and classical relay (2:08.09).

Kit Vincent Pelletero, on the other hand, gave host Dumaguete its first gold medal after topping the boys’ long jump with a leap of 5.90 meters.

Other gold-medal winners in athletics were Rocel Pahilanga of Bacolod in the girls’ 100m hurdles (17.2), Shenfel Tanokan of Cebu in the girls’ high jump (1.40m), Francis Nhel Acidillo of Leyte in the boys’ 800m (2:06.1).

Peter Arthur Reparado of Leyte in the boys’ high jump (1.60m), Shaira Hernandez of Bacolod City in the girls’ 200m (27.73) and Angela Publico of Leyte in the girls’ 400m hurdles (1:12.00).

Other winners were Bera Rose Saragena of Cebu in the girls’ discus throw (22.19m), Marfil Delfin of Leyte in the boys’ 400m hurdles (1:02.80), Syra Bayron of Leyte in the girls’ 3,000m run (12:24.6), Francis Nhel Debulosan of Cebu City (9:54.4) and Eric Jude Latorre of Leyte in the boys’ discus throw (26.66m).

Bacolod also won the gold medals in the boys’ and girls’ classical relay.

Meanwhile, Cebu won the girls’ 3-on-3 basketball after edging Dumaguete, 15-14, in the finals at the Lamberto Macias Sports Center yesterday.

At stake in the qualifying leg of Batang Pinoy 2011, sponsored by Smart, Maynilad and Summit Natural Drinking Water, are berths in the national pool which will be trained to compete in the second Youth Olympic Games to be held in Nanjing, China in 2014.

The championships in badminton, table tennis, taekwondo and lawn tennis will be held today in the event backed by Milo, Jollibee, The British Council, Standard Insurance, Manila Bulletin, Negros Navigation-Super Ferry and Kids 3

Food Supplement.

The two-day competition in swimming also starts today while the finals of archery and badmiton will be held in Silliman University Archery Range and Robinsons Mall, respectively.