Puerto Princesa?Central Visayas struggled on the fourth day of competitions yesterday with mostly second place finishes in the main events in swimming and athletics.

The region?s lone gold came from Stella Marris Malingin, a 12-year-old from Oslob Elementary School in Cebu.

A first-timer in Palarong Pambansa, Malingin bagged the gold in long jump elementary girls (4.61 meters), leaving behind fellow Cebuana Kirstie Kaye Vinco, who settled for the bronze.

Vinco, a Grade 6 student from the Mandaue City Central School, is now on her second year in the Palaro.

?I?m happy that we both won. There is no rivalry between us because we both carry the region,? Malingin said in Filipino.

In swimming, the region?s main tanker, Loren Dale Echavez, faltered in the finals of the 100-meter fly for secondary girls with a time of 1 minute 8.24 seconds to finally bow to her chief pursuer, Hannah Dato of NCR, who nipped the clock for the gold with 1 minute 8.21.

The University of San Carlos (USC) standout, who had reaped two golds so far at the expense of Dato during the first two days of competition, however, saved the day for the girls 200 meter freestyle relay to snatch the silver, after coming from behind in the final 50 meters to nose out eventually third placer Mimaropa, with a team time of 2 minutes 3.35 seconds.

NCR ruled this event, clocking 1 minute, 58.03 seconds.

?It wasn?t my favorite event (breast stroke) but I will give my best tomorrow in the finals of the 100 meters freestyle,? Echavez told Cebu Daily News following her second place finish.

The secondary boys 200-meter relay team settled for 5th place with a time of 1 minute 51.43 seconds while the only other finalist yesterday in individual swimming, Ana Danie Paraiso, landed 6th in the 50 meters back stroke for elementary girls.

In other events in athletics, CVRAA?s Dharl Pitogo placed second (15.9) in the finals of the 110-m high hurdles secondary boys won by Jose Renato Unson of NCR (15.7).

Ivan Jey Sucaldo bagged the first place in the triple jump secondary boys, with a distance of 14.20.

Another elementary player, Angelaine Dales of Camanjac Elementary School, grabbed the bronze medal in discus throw with a distance of 27.47 m.

Joshua Paracuelles bagged the silver in arnis bantam weight division full contact event while Donie Aguhob settled for the bronze medal in the featherweight division. CVRAA ranked fifth in the event.

In the individual archery girls finals, Jade Ann Guido placed 2nd in the 30-m category with a score of 311, 2nd in 50-m with 269 points and silver in the ? fita round with 580 points.

However, the region struggled yesterday in team events, losing to NCRAA in sipa elementary boys during their first game with a score of 2-0.

In softball girls secondary, Central Visayas bowed to Davao Region, 3-4.

MIMAROPA trounced CVRAA in sepak takraw, 42-32, 42-26.

In the women?s artistic gymnastics, Central Visayas grabbed silver in both team and individual category secondary.

Naomi Soco earned a score of 34.45 while the team got 100.00, only a few moves away from the 101.30 score of NCR.

In the elementary category, the women?s artistic gymnastics placed fourth in the team event and seventh in individual all around, courtesy of Gayle Marie Arda (31.05). /Contributor Jhelyn Andal