INQUIRER Sports

Luzon emerged as the surprise opening day leader after its elementary and secondary athletes combined for 67 points to take the early lead against top bet, National Capital Region (NCR), in the 1st National Milo Little Olympics at the Cebu City Sports Center.

The delegation from Luzon combined for 33 gold medal finishes in athletics, swimming, scrabble and taekwondo.

Its elementary division bagged 32 points after tying with NCR in taekwondo and placing second in the scrabble competition.

Its secondary team added 35 points after its girls squad placed first in taekwondo and second in the scrabble event.

Luzon's jins wrapped up the event with 50 points combined both in the elementary and secondary division. They also ruled the scrabble event in the secondary division, which was worth 10 points, and settled for second in the elementary division for seven points.

NCR is temporarily in second spot with 53 points with 15 points after its elementary boy's team ruled the flyweight, bantam, feather and lightweight divisions.

The NCR scrabble team came in third in the elementary division and second in the secondary division. They also dominated the partial swimming and athletics tally.

NCR tankers harvested 11 gold medals both in the elementary and secondary division while their athletics team accounted for 17 gold medals.

Visayas managed to grab the third spot overall after a tough day of competition.

Multi-awarded Cebuana word wizard Joy Policher of the University of the Visayas (UV) and Zaria Lorette Espanola shone after having won board medals.

Other Visayas scrabble gold medalists were Jill Elaine Ugbinada, Phil Robert Figues, Hanika Maghutay and Janzeen Cruda, who dominated in the elementary division.

Mindanao finished in the fourth spot with 44 points.

15 points came from its secondary taekwondo team and 11 from the elementary division.

They also settled for fourth in the scrabble event, wherein they earned four points.

Mindanao's taekwondo gold medalists were Cyrmyn Perlas, Iona Kae Salvacion, Mary Anne Espina, Miguel Paolo Ragudo, Emil Dwight Oclarit, Joshua Latoza, Kevin Louis Sia, Josafat John Simon Ligayan.

ATHLETICS

University of Cebu's (UC) Jee Ann Racoma and Ivan Castaneda

managed to take home gold medals in the 200m run and long jump for Visayas. The secondary athletics competition was dominated by athletes from NCR.

In the elementary division, gold medalists for the Visayas were Roziel Ardiente (1,500m run), Leif Uviel Iyas (high jump), Nocagaichi Romel Hindang (long jump) and Joshua Ellaga (110m hurdles.)

SWIMMING

University of San Carlos (USC) ace swimmer Loren Dale Echavez bagged four gold medals in the first day of the swimming event along with Cebu Eastern College?s (CEC) Anthony Linn Navarro, who claimed three gold medals to make Visayas a strong contender in this medal-rich event.

Echavez won the 50m and 100m freestyle, 100m butterfly and the individual medley.

Navarro captured the title in the 200m medley, 50m backstroke and the 100m freestyle.

?Kaya ra man nako sila (I can handle them),? said Echavez after claiming her fourth gold medal for the day.

TAEKWONDO DQ

Meanwhile, five jins from the Visayas team got into a mess after they were disqualified for not following tournament guidelines.

They were still allowed to play but their matches were made non-bearing and will not be recorded in the official standings.

A taewkondo jin from Barili also packed his bag after he was automatically disqualified because he was overaged.

Reynaldo Brojan, taekwondo tournament manager, said the disqualification was not the cause of the Visayas? poor performance in the competition.

He said they already expected Mindanao to rule the taekwondo event.

Nevertheless, their effort resulted to three gold medals courtesy of Melody Jane Infante, Veronica Garces and Marie Hanz Therese Espina.

With the ballgames still ongoing, Visayas hopes to improve its standings with its volleyball team having already won two of its three games and its football team blanking Luzon.

This two-day event will end today with the closing ceremonies to be held at the Cebu City Sports Center.