National open trackfest on today; Fil-Am thrower goes for two golds

STA. CRUZ, LAGUNA, Philippines – Fil-Am Caleb Stuart goes for a two-gold sweep in events he hopes to dominate in the coming Southeast Asian Games at the start of the National Open-Invitational Athletics Championships at the San Luis Sports Complex today here.

Less than a week after surpassing  the SEAG and national records in hammer throw in the US, Stuart competes in the event as well as in shot put which he is expected to rule based on his recent records.

The 6-2, 250lb former University of California-Riverside standout, whose mother Rowena Pineda-Stuart is a native of Pampanga, is using the four-day meet to showcase his talent and justify his spot in the national team competing in the SEA Games in Singapore this June.

“My goal is to win two gold medals in the SEA Games,” said Stuart, who is set to resume training with new coach Shaun McGinley in the US next week.

There will be 15 other golds up for grabs in Day One, including the women’s 10,000-meter run, which will officially usher in the event at 6 a.m.

In the Ben Brown meet in Los Angeles last weekend, Stuart heaved a 68.66-meter throw to surpass his personal best of 67.24 and improve the current SEAG mark of 62.23 held by Thai Tantiphong Petchaiya and the national record of 61.69 owned by Arniel Ferrera.

Stuart’s personal best in shot put – 17.88m – is also a little over the current SEAG record of 17.64m owned by another Thai Thawin Khachin and the national mark of 16.74m by Eleazer Sunang.

“Aside from Caleb (Stuart) and the current member of the national team, we’re hoping to discover some new talents in this National Open,” said track and field chief Philip Ella Juico.

Renato Unso, Juico’s secretary-general, said the event drew 1,500 participants, including foreign athletes from 12 countries eyeing a big share of the total 73 golds at stake.

China, Chinese Taipei, South Korea, Hong Kong, Brunei, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore, Indonesia and Myanmar have sent their top athletes to slug it out with the local aces.

Myanmar SEAG gold medal winners Edgardo Alejan Jr., Archand Bagsit, Isidro del Prado Jr. and Juluis Nierras Jr. (4x400m relay), Jesson Ramil Cid (decathlon), Christopher Ulboc Jr. (3,000m steeplechase), Eric Cray (400m hurdles), Archarnd Christian Bagsit (400m run) and Henry Dagmil (long jump) are also using this event to formally clinch their spots in the Singapore-bound team.

Others seeing action are Myanmar silver medallists Mervin Guarte (800m), Narciza Atienza (heptathlon), Ferrera (hammer throw), Edgardo Alejan Jr. (800m) and bronze medallists Jessica Barnard (3,000m steeplechase), Eric Panique (marathon) and Riezel Buenaventura (pole vault).

The event is organized by the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association and Philippine Sports Commission and backed by Laguna Water, Pacific Online Scratch It KaskaSwerte, Papa John’s Pizza, Foton Philippines, PCSO, Smart, PLDT, Summit Natural Drinking Water and supported by SSS, Pagcor, Milo, Gatorade, L Time Studio and Asics Watch.