Gotuaco powers team to bronze in Seoul meet

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine junior archery team nipped powerhouse Mexico in a knockout duel to clinch the bronze medal in the second Seoul International Archery Festa in South Korea last week.

Led by Youth Olympic Games-bound Bianca Gotuaco, Palarong Pambansa champion Mary Queen Ybañez, Philippine National Games winner Crizabelle Merto and Kareel Hongitan, the Nationals toppled Singapore in the first round of the head-to-head duel then downed Taiwan to barge into the semifinal round.

But they bumped into a solid South Korean team and bowed out of the gold medal race. The hosts went on to beat China for the gold.

The Philippines, meanwhile, stunned Mexico to snatch the bronze in the event, which drew 14 teams from 13 nations, including Japan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Vietnam, Great Britain and Irvine and Long Beach from the USA.

Gotuaco, fresh from her victory in the US National Target Championships in Ohio last week, scored 307 and a 311 in two 70m events to finish with a 610 and power Team Phl to No. 5 in the qualifier with an 1812.

Ybanez had a 598 from a 306 and 292 while Merto shot two 298s for 596. Hongitan made a 546 from 287 and 259 and didn’t count for the team in the event where each archer shoots two arrows each with the first team to score five points winning the round.

Meanwhile Luis Gabriel Moreno, another YOG-bound archer, also reached the semifinals in the men’s individual competition but lost his bid for the bronze to Great Britain’s Tom Howse and settled for fourth.