STA. CRUZ, Laguna—It didn’t take long for National Capital Region to put order in the Palarong Pambansa.
The Big City athletes Tuesday dominated medal-rich swimming in a campaign backstopped by 12-year-old Imee Joyce Saavedra’s record-breaking performance even as Central Luzon’s Bryan Pacheco again set a new yardstick in track and field.
Saavedra smashed the Palaro record in the elementary girls’ 200-meter freestyle with a time of two minutes and 16.72 seconds, besting the 2:18.86 set by Catherine Bondad of Calabarzon four years ago in Tarlac City.
“I was just going for a win,” said Saavedra, an incoming freshman at Diliman Preparatory School, who finished almost seven seconds ahead of silver medalist Zoe Marie Hilario of the Davao region (2:23.44).
Saavedra, who got started in swimming at age 3, has six more events ahead of her.
Also winning titles for NCR were Emilio Jose Viovicente in elementary boys 200 free, Maurice Sacho Ilustre in high school boys 400 free and Christine Jhoy Mendoza in high school girls 400 free.
Earlier, at the break of dawn, Region 3’s Pacheco posted his second record-breaking performance, smashing the meet mark in high school boys javelin throw for his second gold medal.
The stocky, 5-foot-10 Pacheco, threw 62.47 meters to obliterate his own 2013 mark of 57.81.
He accomplished his record throw right on the very first try and then heaved the spear longer than 60 meters in all the five remaining attempts.
“I was sure of breaking the record because I was throwing longer in training,” said Pacheco in Filipino.
“But I wasn’t sure of winning the gold medal because I know this NCR (National Capital Region) guy is also tough.”
Pacheco, whose parents are former athletes in throwing events, was referring to Big City bet Joshua Vincent Patulad. But Patulad could only make 61.46—still better than the old record—to settle for silver. Northern Mindanao’s Rejoh Cliff Gadian was third with 57.06m.
Pacheco said he immediately got calls from UAAP schools like La Salle, University of Santo Tomas and Far Eastern University, but he added that he will still weigh his options and look for the “best offer.” Over at Copeland Gym inside UPLB, NCR struck with four gold medals in gymnastics.
Metro Manila made a 1-2-3 finish with John Ivan Cruz ruling the high school boys artistic with a score of 40.65 points besting teammates Jan Gwynn Timbang (40.70) and Patrick Poquiz (39.00).
They combined for the team gold as well. Aldrin Apuyan dominated the elementary boys artistic with 38.30 beating Socksargen’s John Paul Cabido (37.80) and Ron Vincent Pama (37.75).
Apuyan, Edrian Poquiz and John Romeo Santillan combined to give NCR the team gold.