Jacinto rips mark; Illustre bags 5th gold

SAN JOSE, Antique, Philippines – NCR’s Jerald Jacinto continued his record-breaking spree in the pool, shattering two marks even as teammate Maurice Illustre hauled his fifth gold yesterday in the Palarong Pambansa at the Binirayan Sports Complex here.

The six-foot Jacinto, 15, reset the secondary boys 200m backstroke mark twice – the first in the morning trials in two minutes, 11.49 seconds before turning in a faster 2:09.87 clocking in the afternoon finals.

The previous record was 2:11.49 set by former Southeast Asian Games gold medalist Ryan Arabejo in Iloilo City 12 years ago.

It was Jacinto’s seventh record in the four-day pool event. He earlier smashed the 100m back and the 4x50m medley relay marks with Drew Magbag, Andrei Pogiongko and Ianiko Limfilipino twice each Tuesday.

He was also part of the team composed of Magbag, Pogiongko and Illustre that eclipsed the 4x50m medley relay record Wednesday.

“I’m just happy I broke records again,” said Jacinto.

Illustre, 17, shared the spotlight as he claimed his fifth gold in the 100m fly in 57.68, just a tenth of a second close to the record of 57.56 he himself set in Tagum, Davao del Norte two years ago.

Illustre’s other mints came in 400m free, 200m fly, 100m free and the 4x50m medley relay team.

In athletics, Calabarzon’s Veruel Verdadero notched his second gold by topping the secondary boys 400m in 49.58 seconds, beating Socsargen’s Marjun Sulleza and Calabarzon’s Jan Vincent Alejandro, who clocked 50.03 and 50.06, respectively.

Verdadero, 15, also ruled the century dash Wednesday and will shoot for athletics’ golden treble in today’s 200m dash final.

Calabarzon’s Jessel Lumapas grabbed the secondary girls’ 400m mint in 57.74, besting Bicol’s Divina Mahusay (58.91) and Negros’ Ma. Isabel Oqueriza (59.20).

In arnis, triplets John Clark, John Carl and John Christian Segutier of Western Visayas stole the show as they topped the single weapon of the secondary boys anyo team event with 68.25 points.

The trio edged Northern Mindanao’s Jovanie Cantar, Gerald Jesus Cantar and Junebert Bacor and Calabarzon’s Mark Andrew Orcena, Bryan Padua and Dave Casillan, who posted 68 and 67.50 for silver and bronze, respectively.

John Clark picked up a second gold in single weapon of the anyo individual event.

In secondary boys basketball, NCR’s Chiang Kai Shek and Central Visayas’s University of Visayas downed Cordillera Administrative Region, 102-47, and Davao, 79-65, respectively, to arrange a semis showdown.

Fancied Calabarzon’s San Beda, the defending champion, for its part, rallied from a double-digit deficit in the final three minutes to escape with an 83-76 win over Socsargen.

The Big City bets will face host Western Visayas, which trounced Caraga, 78-71, in today’s semis.

Over at the Pis-anan National High School grounds, CAR’s Charmaine Angela Villamor emerged the first quadruple gold medal winner in archery by ruling the 60m, 50m, 40m and single Fita events in secondary girls.

Villamor is also set to compete in the individual Olympic round, team Olympic Round and mixed team Olympic round.

Negros’ Ma. Ferime Gleam Bajado took the 30m gold on opening day.

Central Visayas’ Lloyd Apawan grabbed his share of golds, winning the 70m and 60m events for secondary boys.

Eastern Visayas, on the other hand, dominated wrestling, raking in eight of the 10 golds disputed.

Anthony Obias (42kg), Diomel Hugo (46kg) and Anthony Pangan (56kg) delivered the mints in the boys’ section while Veronica Ompod (40kg), Andrea Rowella Abrea (48kg) and Angela Alferez (56kg) accounted for the other golds in the girls side.

Other winners were Caraga’s Mary Char Morgado (44kg), Cagayan Valley’s Jiah Pingot, CAR’s Lemuel Dalgo (50kg) and Central Luzon’s Ezekiel Estomago (58kg).