Torres extends long jump reign; Fil-Am fastest man

STA. CRUZ, Laguna—Marestella Torres has not lost any of her sharpness as the country’s long jump queen.

Over a year after giving birth, Torres flashed her finest form yet, leaping to 6.47 meters on her fifth attempt to rule her pet event in the 2015 Philippine National Open-Invitational Athletics Championship at Laguna Sports Complex here.

She fell short of her Southeast Asian Games record of 6.71, but the effort was enough to decide her much-awaited rivalry with United States-trained Khay Katherine Santos, who managed 6.25. Felyn Dolloso of Team Rio snagged the bronze with a 5.49 effort.

“That was my best jump so far since I came back [to compete again as a mother],” said Torres in Filipino.

Her golden dream at the Incheon Asian Games six months ago ended in shambles after she fouled thrice and bombed out of the competition.

Torres again stepped on the foul line three times, but not before making her winning jump—a leap clearly good for a silver medal in last year’s Asian Games.

“You can be the strongest, but you will lose with those fouls even against the weakest,” said Torres.

The winning jump of 6.55 by Maria Natalia Londa of Indonesia at the Incheon Games was shorter than Torres’ personal best.

Torres said she’s 70 percent ready and expects to hit peak form in the Singapore Southeast Asian Games on June 5 to 16 with American coach Jim Lafferty closely monitoring her progress.

The victory of sprinter Brandon Thomas also provided drama on the second day of competition after the Filipino-American crossed the tape in the men’s 100 meters final.

Thomas, a prized find from Texas State and a friend of hurdler Eric Cray, slowed down in the last 20 meters after he felt a sting in his left hamstring and lower back. He claimed the gold in 10.80 seconds.

Grimacing in pain, Thomas collapsed on the ground a few meters past the finish line. Eddie Edward Jr. of Sabah, Malaysia, took the silver (10.89) and Arellano U’s Rodquian Maullon the bronze (11.03).

Strong 4×100 relay quartet

Thomas will join fellow overseas-born half-Filipinos Brian Mercado and Cray in the 4x100m relay in the SEA Games along with a fourth man the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association will name later.

The Philippines, which has not won a SEA Games 4x100m gold, suddenly became a contender in the event with the influx of United States-born  sprinters.

SEA Games champion Archand Christian Bagsit ruled the 400m in 47.26 seconds with fellow national team mainstay Edgardo Alejan placing second (47.28) and Ryan Bigyan of Philippine Air Force third (47.43).

Bagsit and Alejan were part of the gold-winning 4x400m squad in the 2013 Burma (Myanmar) Games along with Julius Nierras and Isidro Del Prado Jr.

Nierras finished seventh in the 400m final while Del Prado, whose father Isidro Sr. owns the national mark of 45.57 he set in Manila 1984, didn’t even advance to the final eight.

The day’s other gold medalists were Janel Silvoza (women’s 800m), Fil-Am Donovant Arriola (long jump), Narcisa Atienza (shot put), Khay Katherine Santos (100m), Jinky Obano (400m) and SEAG gold medalist Christopher Ulboc (steeplechase).