Pages books girls 18 semis ticket in Tru-Flex netfest

CEBU, Philippines - Promising Cebuana netter Jana Pages easily booked a semifinal ticket in the girls 18-under division of the 14th Tru-flex National Age-Group Tennis Championships yesterday at the Haruhay Dream Resort in Lapu-Lapu City.

The fourth seed Pages posted a lopsided win against Nathalie Alipe, 6-1, 6-1. She will face next the second-ranked Khim Iglupas for a berth into the final round.

Iglupas advanced followed in 6-1, 6-2 demolition of Toni Rose Raymundo, while the top-seeded Roxanne Resma won by default over a no-show Quinna Mae Manas.

In the girls 16-under, Zethley Mae Alferez slammed fellow Cebuana player Shyne Villareal, 6-0,6-1 to book a quarterfinal dujel against Pages or Laura Darza.

Resma also pulled a no-sweat win in the 16-under. She will take on next Rafaella Villanueva, who barged into the quarterfinals after shipping Angela Cabaral, 6-1, 6-4.

Khim Iglupas joined Resma, Alferez and Villanueva into the next stage after silencing Marie Andre Danica Toledo, 6-0, 6-0.

Over at the Amores Tennis Club in Brgy. Gun-ob, three visiting players from Hong Kong in Chui Kei Leung, Win Ka Lin and Adithya Karunaratne proceeded into the girls 14 quarterfinal round. Leung blasted Shyryn Salazar, 6-1, 6-1, while Lin and Karunaratne both prevailed over Alessandra Villanueva and Ellaine Rose Bahonsoa, respectively, via a 6-0, 6-0 shutout.

In the other girls 14 matches, Mariel Ann Villa clobbered Febbie Jane Abayan, 6-2, 6-1, while Kianna Louise de Asis grabbed a 6-4, 6-1 victory against Lyra Mae Repollo.

At the Mactan Benito Ebuen Airbase courts, Tristan Kwok, also from Hong Kong, came up with a 6-4, 6-2 rout of Nathaniel Alipe to move into the second round of boys 14 class together with John Clyde Laquio and Rafael Dominic Merced. Laquio edged out Fernando Po, while Merced won via default against Jude Carlo Balundo.

Reflections

A  fellow race organizer from Western Visayas  commented that people he trained to organize races are the same people who now  wants to erase him from the running scene. He said he’s really hurting  as besides currently organizing their own events, they are campaining for runners not to join the orgnizer’s races.  Well, I said it’s the same story of my friend from Manila who started extreme sports in a Southern Region. At first, the participants praised him to high heavens but after learning the tricks of the book, they wanted the organizer out of the locaI running scene.  I told my friend I was reflecting this Holy Week  and compared him to Jesus Christ.  When Jesus entered Jerusalem people lined the streets and carried palms while shouting “Hossanas”.  These were the same people who would later  shout “Crucify Him”.  I also reminded my friend about Julius Ceasar who was stabbed by his co-senators including his ward Brutus.  As he fell to the ground, he saw  Brutus who also joined in stabbing him and said “Etu Brute?”, “You too Brutus?” or in our local dialect  ”Pati ikaw sad Brutus?” It hurts, but that’s reality.  Sometimes you bite  the hands that feed you. 

Team Cebu City

With the success of Team Cebu City in the 1st NCR Masters Athletics Invitational Championship, held in Pasig City recently, I got a lot of calls and text messages from former elite runners who want  to join the team. As I mentioned in a previous column, we could have won more medals had Irened Illut, Ruth Banzon, Cynthia Arnaiz and  Dr. Abe Manlawe, joined us in Manila.  This development would surely  boost the team, making it more stronger besides enjoying homecourt advantage since the Visayas leg of the Masters trackfest will be held here in Cebu  in June.  I’ll be tapping fomer National Junior record holder in the 400 meters  Al Solomon, Marcos Pelare, Edward Beronia, Berto Banzon, Mendrica Bismanos, Boy Catulong, Babette Capangpangan, Ronilda Rodriguez,  Monsito Tuyco, Armando  Salazari and former Asian Games  veteran Marcela Bangot .  We could even form a 70 and above relay team in Relly Mercado, Simplicio Arcelo, Alberto Mahipus and Rening Ylaya. 

Coast to coast ultramarathon

Deadline of registration for the 3rd Labor Day Coast to Coast 65k Ultramarathon set on April 28  will be on April 21.  Over 100 runners are currently entered in the race that will start at the Cebu Provincial Capitol while ending at the Toledo City Sports Complex.  Mayor Rudy Espinosa has again agreed to support the race which will be on it’s third staging.  Registration is still ongoing at Runnr Ayala.

Notes: 

It’s hard to believe that five-time Grammy Award winner and recent Cebu City visitor Dionne Warwick, has filed for bunkruptcy in New Jeresey.  Dionne 72, held a concert at the Waterfront Hotel to a jampacked crowd and sang most of her hits including “ I Say A Little Prayer”, “Walk on By”, “ Do You Know The Way to  San Jose”, “Alfie”, “I’ll Never Fall In Love Again” and a lot more.  The reason for filing buncruptcy was “negligent and gross financial mismanagement.”

New York City Marathon

If plans don’t miscarry, I’ll be running in the 2013 New York City Marathon as I’ll be in San Francisco, California in September to sing as Elvis in my niece Kaye Armonio’s wedding. However, there might be a slight problem as the NYCRR will prioritize entries who failed to start last year when the marathon was cancelled due to a hurricane. Nevertheless, I’m still excited as I’m set to visit Las Vegas and my “grave” at Graceland in Memphis.