Golden double for Caleb

STA. CRUZ, Laguna—Caleb Stuart pulled off a golden double as expected but the Fil-American throwing find could only come up with “below-par” performances yesterday in the 2015 Philippine National Open Invitational athletics championships at San Luis Sports Complex here.

“I’m happy that I’ve won, but at the same time I know that I could have thrown better,’’ said Caleb, who won the men’s hammer throw with a 64.81-meter effort after ruling the shot sput in the morning with a heave of 16.52.

The 6-foot-2, 250-pound Stuart, whose mother Rowena hails from Pampanga, came into the meet after posting a career best 68.66m on March 13 during the Ben Brown Invitationals in Fullerton, California.

That throw broke the national record of Arniel Ferrera (61.62), set in the 2009 Laos Southeast Asian Games, according to Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association secretary general Renato Unso.

The SEA Games hammer record is 62.23 set by Thailand’s Tantipong Phetchaiya in 2013 in Burma.

Still, Stuart proved equal to the hype as he beat Jackie Wong Siew Cheer of Singapore, who settled for the silver in 63.71. Ferrera, with a sprained hamstring, placed third (29.65) after just one attempt.

Suiting up for Philippine Air Force A, Stuart earlier nailed the shot put gold on his second try with Malaysian Adi Aliffudin Hussein, himself a silver medalist in the 2013 Burma (Myanmar) SEA Games, securing the silver in 16.21.

Eliezer Sunang, the current national record holder at 16.74m which he accomplished in the 2013 Bangkok Open, took the bronze in 16.05.

“I wasn’t able to fix my technique. I was trying to adjust my throw but I was thinking too much,’’ said the 24-year-old Stuart from University of California-Riverside whose personal shot put best was 17.88.

Mary Grace Delos Santos crossed the line 400 meters ahead of Jho-an Banayag to capture the gold in the women’s 10,000m run in the opener of the four-day meet that attracted the country’s finest track and field athletes and counterparts from six other Asian nations.

Delos Santos, a former Milo Marathon champion, clocked 38 minutes and 5.83 seconds while Banayag, marathon gold medalist in the 2011 SEA Games in Palembang, timed 39:34.65.

Janice Tawagin of Philippine Army placed third (40:39.56) in the event backed by Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, Asics, Timex, Milo, Summit Water, PLDT, Foton, Philippine Sports Commission and organized by Patafa to test the national team members in their buildup for the Singapore SEAG in June.

“I expect athletes to break Philippine records and at least come close to the gold-medal performance in the SEA Games,’’ said Patafa president Philip Ella Juico during the opening ceremony attended by Laguna local officials headed by Gov. Ramil L. Hernandez.

In the women’s high jump, Singaporean Michelle Sng cleared 1.84 meters to tie the gold-medal standard in the SEA Games.

Sng frustrated 2013 SEAG heptathlon silver medalist Narcisa Atienza, who did 1.75m, and Charie Bajuyo of PAF who was third in 1.50m.

Aira Teodosio of University of Santo Tomas ruled the junior women’s discus throw (38.59m). Daniella Daynata of Caloocan pocketed the silver (31.81) and Angeli Ann Din of TMS Ship Agencies placed third (29.79).

Meanwhile, SEA Games long jump champion Henry Dagmil won’t be seeing action in his pet event due to a pulled hamstring while multiple steeplechase gold winner Rene Herrera is out after hurting his back.