Sports school makes waves

TACLOBAN, Philippines– Leyte Sports Academy-Smart continued to dominate the field as it racked up nine more gold medals in athletics yesterday in the Visayas leg of the Philippine Olympic Committee-Philippine Sports Commission Batang Pinoy 2012 here.

Leah Joan Creer and Aldrin Hermosilla stood at the forefront of the 54-student squad, which studies, resides and trains inside the Leyte Sports Development Center, with the former completing her sprints double feat after ruling the (girls 14-15) 200-meter in 26.7 seconds. She earlier topped the century dash (12.7 seconds) and 400m (1:02.2).

Hermosilla, on the other hand, took the (boys 13-under) 1,500m gold medal on top of his victories in the 2,000m and relay earlier in the week.

The LSA-Smart tracksters have so far amassed 32 gold medals to shock regional powerhouse teams from Western Visayas and Cebu City in this week-long event for 15 years old and younger.

“We focused on just three sports for the moment, boxing, swimming and athletics,” said LSA executive director Rowil Batan of his province’s two-year-old sports program.

“We are just a new academy and we are surprised at how we performed. Hopefully we also do well in the National Finals,” added Batan, whose crew also sent seven of its 10 boxers in the finals at the Capitol Gym.

Rounding up the LSA-Smart golden winners in athletics were Lyra Baytan in girls 14-15 3,000m run, Feiza Jane Lenton in girls 13-under 2,000m run, Richard Mercado in boys 13-under 200m, Karen Janario in girls 13-under 400m hurdles, Melissa Escoton in girls 14-15 400m hurldles and Alfredo Dadivas Jr., in boys 14-15 400, hurdles. In swimming, Bacolod and Negros Occidental posted seven victories each with Remselle Limaco and Gwen Joy del Carmen adding three more golds each for the former.

Limaco topped the (girls 13-15) 100m backstroke, 200m individual medley and 50m freestyle, while del Carmen prevailed in (girls 12-under) 100m back, 50m back and 50m free. Kyla Isabelle Mabus picked up her fifth gold of the meet when she won girls 13-15 100m butterfly.

Limaco, 15, is on her last stint in Batang Pinoy and is making the most out of it. The high school senior at Teofilo Gemsoli National High School, who trains every day at Panaad Sports Complex, is hoping to finally nail a win in national finals in Iloilo City next month after failing to win one last year in Naga City.

Merced Divina Rojo and Lorenzo Xavier Abello snared two gold medals each for Negros Occidental. Rojo ruled (girls 12-under) 100m fly and 200m IM, while Abello reigned in (boys 13-15) 1,500m free and 100m breaststroke. Also winning for Negros Occidental were Kyla Patrice Kho in girls 13-15 100m breast, Dustin Marco Ong in boys 11-12 400m IM and Alfred Valentin Rojo in boys 13-15 400m IM.

Bacolod’s Emy Rose Dael (girls singles) and Francis Garganian and Ann Gella Borbon (mixed doubles) captured the gold medals in table tennis, while Mandaue’s Jan Mari Nayre topped the boys singles event.