VIGAN, Ilocos Sur, Philippines — Kasandra Hazel Alcantara of the National Capital Region grabbed the spotlight as she broke the 26-year old record in secondary girls shot put even as Socsargen’s Princess Sheryl Valdez racked up four gold medals in arnis in Palarong Pambansa yesterday at the President Elpidio Quirino Stadium here.
Calabarzon’s Eliza Cuyom also pulled off one of the most remarkable feats in the annual games in recent years, shattering both the national juniors and meet records in secondary girls’ 100m hurdles.
Cuyom, 17, clocked 14.73 seconds in the morning trials to eclipse the national junior girls hand time record of 15-flat Julie Rose Forbes set in the National Open in Manila 18 years ago.
She also broke the Palaro standard of 14.9 recorded by Zamboanga’s Michelle Patasha in Gen. Santos 22 years ago.
“My coaches helped me (on this feat),” said Cuyom, a Grade 11 student at Dasmariñas East Integrated High School, in Filipino, referring to Kennedy Querijero.
Alcantara, a graduating Grade 12 student at University of the East, heaved 11.88 meters to claim the gold and better the 11.20 record set by another NCR bet Marites Barios in Zamboanga City in 1992.
“The goal here is to break the record because it’s my last Palaro year,” said Alcantara in Filipino. “My coach (Jeremy Garay) told me to improve on my leg movement and lessen the spin – and it worked.”
The record-breaking throw came on Alcantara’s fifth of six attempts although she had already ripped it on her second try with a heave of 11.70m.
Jamela de Asia of Western Visayas and Mary Jean Maloloy-on of Bicol took the silver and bronze with 11.29m and 10.61m, respectively.
Over at the San Vicente Municipal gym, Valdez, 12, struck in elementary girls arnis, winning four golds in the single weapon, double weapon and single espada event individual. She then teamed up with Maria Veronica Ilagan and Stephane Mones to snare the single weapon anyo team gold and become the first quadruple gold medal winner.
The Grade Six student at New Isabela National high school in Tacurong will still see action in four events today.
For her feats, Valdez is reportedly set to receive a P60,000 incentive from Socsargen’s Department of Education division, which promised P15,000 to every gold.
Andrei Fritz Justine Alcarioto delivered the fifth arnis gold for Socsargen with a victory in the elementary boys’ single weapon of anyo event individual.
Local bet Francis James San Gabriel of Ilocos joined the record-breaking spree as he clocked 9:33.01 in the secondary boys 2000m walk to erase the 10:11.3 mark set by NCR’s Bryan Oxales in San Jose, Antique last year.
Interestingly, the event was only included as a regular event in the annual multi-sports meet for elementary and secondary student athletes last year.
Calabarzon’s Veruel Verdadero, the secondary boys 100m dash gold medalist, posted the fastest time in the heats of the century dash, clocking 10.65 seconds, which broke the 10.75 mark set by Socsargen’s Feberoy Kasi two years ago in Legzapi, Albay.