Negros lass retains PNG title

DUMAGUETE CITY, Philippines  – Not 100 percent and all, burly Maika de Oro of Negros first got to throw her weight around just the same in her pet event – girls’ discus throw – as action in medal-rich athletics got going in the POC-PSC National Games yesterday at the Percides Sports Complex here.

De Oro, who as a high-schooler made a clean sweep of the girls’ discus crowns during her four-year stint in Palarong Pambansa, hurled the discus to 38.96 meters to handily retain the PNG plum she won in her hometown Bacolod last year.

A far second was Devy Isala of Bago City, who posted 31.35 meters while Rensel Rosales of Bohol finished third with 29.98 meters.

“It was off my personal best of 40 meters but it’s okay considering I suffered from stiff neck this morning and had a minor strain on my right arm three days ago, probably a result of over-training,” the 17-year-old De Oro said in Filipino.

An incoming Political Science sophomore at University of St. La Salle, De Oro’s efforts – 33.69m on her first try and 38.96m on her second – actually surpassed the winning mark in the women’s side.

Hanna Erika Sia of Baguio City posted a best 32.37m in topping women’s discus throw over teammate Jhansel Uduando (28.80m) and Jade Marie Recto of Cebu City (26.42m).

Julius Sermona (men’s 10,000 meter) and Eliezer Sumang (men’s shot put) led the national team mainstays’ domination along with the pair of German Enriquez and Ma. Danella Renee Publico and the tandem of Michael Angelo Marquez and Stephanie Sabalo, who sashayed their way to the Amateur Elite-Standard and Latin plums, respectively, in dancesport at nearby Lamberto Macias Coliseum.

Representing PAF-HyperSports, Sermona survived the tough challenge offered by Josphat Kiptanui Too, a Kenyan competing for host Negros Oriental who engaged the two-time SEAG silver medalist in a neck-and-neck race for most of the 25 laps around the oval.

The 29-year-old Pinoy decided it was enough in the final two laps and charged ahead en route to snaring the athletics’ first mint in 31:09.44 in the joust organized by POC and PSC and backed by Smart Communications, Standard Insurance, Accel, Summit Mineral Water, AKTV, Ayala Corp., Puregold Price Club, Scratch it! Go for Gold, SM Investments Corp., 2Go, Pocari Sweat, The Philippine STAR, and Cebu Pacific.

Too, an incoming Nursing student at Negros Oriental State University (NORSU), checked in at 31:14.16, taking consolation having bettered veteran Eduardo Buenavista (32:03.97 for third) in the podium finish.

“We were challenged by the presence of the foreign entries. There were some jitters at the start since the Kenyans are really strong but I was able to get a good measure of him in the last two laps,” Sermona said in Filipino.

“I’m very excited and happy to beat a national team member (Buenavista). This will give me the morale and inspiration to train harder,” said Too, one of six Kenyans enrolled at NORSU.

Sumang of Baguio City, the national record-holder in shot put, posted a routine triumph in his favorite event with 15.58 meters, besting national coach Nixon Mas of PAF-HyperSports (12.91) and Francis Berizo of Cebu (12.47).

Other Day 1 winners were Rizel Buenaventura of HyperSports (3.75m), and Emily Obiena, daughter of former internationalist Emerson (2.40m) in women’s and girls’ pole vault, respectively.

Enriquez and Publico of NCR, the currently No. 1 pair in standard dance, wowed the five adjudicators and the crowd with their flawless execution of their waltz, tango, Venice waltz, quickstep and foxtrot routine to get their expected mint with a sum of five points.

Fellow NCR dancers Mark Jason Gayon and Alexandra Blay (10) settled for second while Jonaz Evora and Sharmaine Regio of Quezon (15) took third.

 In baseball over at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium in Manila, the Phl Youth team annihilated Angeles University Foundation in three innings, 17-0, to improve to 3-2 in Group A and get a shot at the second semis slot.

The Youth clouters battle Philab (4-1) in a crucial encounter today with the winner joining unblemished National Team (6-0) in the crossover semis. 

In karatedo at Robinsons Place-Dumaguete, nationals collared the golds in the individual kata, with OJ delos Santos stamping his class in the men’s side and Raquel Lezares ruling the women’s competitions.

Cebuanos reigned in team kata with Rommel Montes, Ryan Lemonares and Samuel Orillo bringing the men’s diadem to Cebu team and TL Basalo, Gwen Ponteros and Joan Inego securing it for ASK Cebu.