Baguio notches 10-gold romp in CNL qualifying
By June Navarro
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 01:27:00 04/03/2008
Filed Under: Athletics, Track & Field
SUBIC—Baguio City opened its title-retention bid in the Central Northern Luzon qualifying games by scooping up 10 gold medals in athletics on Wednesday at the start of the 3rd Philippine Olympic Festival here.
Maria Melissa Naputo won the girls’ long jump and 110-meter hurdles to spearhead a winning spree that had Baguio missing just one gold medal staked in the sport for the day.
Naputo captured the gold in the hurdles after nosing out Nueva Ecija’s Jay Ann Hilario with a time of 16.3 seconds. Hilario clinched the silver in 16.4 while Irish Dimfle Velasco of Baguio clocked 18.8 for the bronze.
Naputo returned to unleash a golden effort of 24.78 meters in the long jump where she outclassed Baguio teammate Sheena Fernando (19.97m) and Nueva Ecija’s Evangeline Reyes (17.80m).
Baguio also swept the girls’ and boys’ 100m dash courtesy of Eduardo Ferrer and Beya Enunneng, respectively. The other winners were Oliver Gabriel in the boys’ shotput, Ella Mae Delos Santos (girls’ 800m run), Fernel Dela Cruz (boys’ 800m), Mielmar Riolada (boys’ 5,000m) and Divina Kitongan (girls’ 3,000m).
Bulacan’s Precious De Leon broke through the Baguio juggernaut by nailing the gold in the girls’ discus throw. De Leon heaved the metal plate to a distance of 24.88 meters, almost five meters farther than Sheena Fernando’s 19.97-meter effort.
Competitions in arnis, badminton, basketball, karatedo, sepak takraw, chess, table tennis, indoor volleyball and muay also got going while medal-rich aquatics starts on Friday.
Philippine Olympic Committee and POF chair Robert Aventajado presided over the opening ceremonies later in the day together with Olongapo City Mayor James Gordon and Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority chair Feliciano Salonga.
POC president Jose “Peping” Cojuangco Jr. and International Olympic Committee representative Frank Elizalde also graced the opening of the event sponsored by Pagcor, Globe, Accel, Negros Navigation, AMA Computer College, Summit Mineral Water and Creativity Lounge.
Ferrer sprinted home in 11.6 seconds to pocket the boys’ century dash, beating Olongapo City’s Jameson Hipolito (11.9) and province-mate Douffer Garcia (12.0).
Technical officials declared Enunneng the winner following a rare three-way dead heat in the girls’ century dash with teammate Maria Ruzzel Rocel and Nueva Ecija’s Jay-Ann Hilario. The three all timed 13.5 seconds.
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