Batang Pinoy Nat’l Finals Mataragnon delivers three golds for Cebu City

CEBU, Philippines -  Team Cebu City’s Aaliyah Ricci Mataragnon gave her parents a beautiful birthday gift as she hauled three gold medals in the triathlon event of the 2014 Philippine Youth Games- Batang Pinoy National Finals yesterday at Bacolod City.

Mataragnon, along with Nykka Archival, Yuan Chiongbian and Ralph Edward "Raffy" to joined forces to win the gold in the mixed relay.

After that, Mataragnon got her first individual gold in the girls’ Individual Time Trial with 12 minutes and 38.36 seconds. It was a double victory for Team Cebu City in the ITT with Chiongbian also winning the 6km in 20 minutes and 56.71 seconds.

In the afternoon, Mataragnon who was unsure of making it to the massed start race since they still had to take their lunch after the ITT managed to beat the start  and came to win another gold impressively.

The Sacred Heart School-Hijas de Jesus student posted 42:56, way ahead of teammate Ana Patricia 'Ica" Maximo who ended with a silver medal in 44:53 while national team member Irish Wong settled for bronze medal with 45:00.76 clocking.

"I really had to do my best today though I wasn't expecting to win three golds. I was so mad yesterday (Tuesday) when I was pushed by another triathlete and missed a medal. This is the best birthday gift I can give to my Mom who's celebrating her birthday tomorrow (today) and my dad on the 19th," said Mataragnon.

In the boys' side of the massed start race, TCC's Chiongbian and Michael Mier ended with a 2-3 finish.

Chiongbian now has three golds and one silver medal so far but  looks forward to his fourth gold when in the duathlon today.

Meanwhile in archery, Don Carlos Gothong Memorial National High School's Lloyd Apawan handed two more golds for Team Cebu City through the 30 and 50-meter event while SHS' Alex Sebastian Blanco ended with a bronze.

Swimmer Michael Ichiro Kong starts his last Batang Pinoy stint with a silver through the 200-meter butterfly. (FREEMAN)