Laguna relentless, fuels drive for B Pinoy crown

CALAPAN, Oriental Mindoro , Philippines – Laguna took 10 more gold medals in the pool and stamped its class in athletics even as Calapan City struck hard in taekwondo in the Philippine Olympic Committee-Philippine Sports Commission Batang Pinoy Games here yesterday.

Hurdler Rocena Chua capped her stint in the Southern Luzon qualifying leg with a sixth gold medal in the girls’ 14-15 4x400-meter relay where the 14-year-old helped Laguna clock four minutes, 53.6 seconds over Oriental Mindoro’s 5:28.3 and Calapan City’s 5:55.1.

The sophomore high school from St. Michael College, Biñan, Laguna also won the 400m hurdles and triple jump yesterday after capturing gold medals in the 100m hurdles, high jump and 4x100m relay.

Chua, daughter of a truck driver assistant, dominated the 400m hurdles with a 1:15.9 clocking. Mary Jane Mantilla, also from Laguna, settled for silver (1:24.5) and Palawan’s Ercel Santelices Oiga placed third (1:27.4).

“My parents will be very happy with my medals. And I think I’m ready for the national finals,” said Chua, who began her track and field career at 10 years old, in Filipino.

Chua and her teammates also contributed heavily to Laguna’s 30 gold medals in athletics. Dasmariñas City, Cavite grabbed 20 gold medals at the Jose Leido Memorial High School here and Palawan brought home eight.

Swimmer Nicole Mean Pamintuan also helped boost last year’s national overall champion Laguna’s bid in the talent discovery regional qualifier for 15 years old and below, winning three gold medals in the girls’ 13-15 400m freestyle, 100m freestyle and 200m medley relay.

The 13-year-old lass from Sta. Rosa, Laguna pocketed three medals in the girls’ 13-15 400m freestyle, 100m freestyle and 200m medley relay.

Pamintuan, a Grade 7 student from St. Michael College, finished the 400m free in five minutes flat to defeat Antipolo City’s Gwen Bryne Prejula (5:07.68) and Elaine Joy Manalang (5:14.18).

She later registered 1:05.21 in the 100m free, beating Laguna’s Marie Pauline Robles (1:08.53) and Beatriz Ocampo of Lucena City (1:12.03) before anchoring the province in the 200m medley relay (2:22.93).

Tanker Gabriel Velasco of San Pablo, Laguna grabbed two gold medals from the pool along with Pamintuan’s teammates Aura Aquino and Carla Mae David. Justine Ann Abastillas of Lucena City also clinched two golds in the girls’ 11-12 400m free and 100m free.

Velasco, Grade 7 from Grace and Truth Christian College, bagged the first medal in swimming after dominating the boys’ 11-12 400m free in 5:13.94. Laguna’s John Carlo Carmona (5:53.12) placed second and James Allen Alcantara, who came from the same province, clocked 5:56.65.

Velasco added the boys’ 11-12 200m back (2:46.53) in his collection while David and Aquino won the girls’ 12-under 50m breaststroke (41.93 seconds) and 200m butterfly (2:49.53), respectively. The other Laguna victory came from Joshua Casino, who won the boys’ 13-15 100m free (58.78 sec.).

The top performers in the regional legs will advance to the national championship in Iloilo on Dec.5-8.

Calapan City, which failed to contend in swimming and athletics, flexed its muscle in taekwondo where it won six gold medals, courtesy of bantamweight Vince Andrei Philippe Panahon, lightweight Ives Christian Manceda, heavyweight Rainier Rivera, middleweight Roxanne Roa, heavyweight Louise Kristia Concepcion and flyweight Samantha Melgar.

Action in badminton resumed yesterday with Lucena City leading the way in the preliminaries. Marinella Delos Santos defeated Oriental Mindoro’s Angelica Jacolbia, 21-5, 21-4, in the second round of the girls’ singles while Carmela Capistrano edged Laguna’s Jaira Joyce Mendoza, 23-21, 23-21, to advance into the quarterfinals.