Buenavista traces dad’s footsteps

TAGUM CITY—Eduard Josh Buenavista has always been fascinated with the vast number of medals and awards his father owns in their trophy room at home.

As the son of Filipino long-distance running icon Eduardo “Vertek’’ Buenavista, it’s but natural for him to dream of replicating the achievements of his old man someday.

That vision is slowly taking shape after the 15-year-old Buenavista ruled the boys’ 5000m run yesterday in the Philippine National Youth Games-Batang Pinoy Championships.

“This is my dream, this is for my parents and it feels good to win,’’ said Buenavista after clocking 16 minutes and 58.92 seconds in a tight race around the Davao del Norte Sports and Tourism track oval that he narrowly won.

La Union’s Fernando Reyes was just a fraction of a second slower (16:59.16) for the silver medal and Bernard Paul Del Rosario of Candon City wound up a far third (17:15.96).

“I want to run for the national team and win medals in international races just like my father,” said Buenavista.

The older Buenavista, now based in Baguio with his family and works as a long-distance coach for the Philippine track and field team, is the current Southeast Asian Games record holder in the 10,000m and 3000m steeplechase.

A two-time Olympian, Buenavista continues to hold the national mark in the 3000m, 5000m, 10,000m, half marathon and full marathon.

In the pool, swimmer Maenard Batnag netted five gold medals, the most by any athlete in the week-long Games for 17 years old and below.

Batnag, a seventh grader from Baguio City National High School, ruled the boys’ 12-under 200m backstroke, 100m freestyle and 100m back as well as the 100m butterfly and 200m individual medley.

Christian Paul Anor of Banganga, Davao Oriental, and Davao City’s Matthieu Adrien Tao also went up the podium several times, each of them claiming four gold medals.

Following earlier victories in the boys’ 13-17 200m back, 100m free and100m back, the 17-year-old Anor also prevailed in the 50m back. The 12-year-old Tao anchored Davao to the 4x50m relay gold and won the 50m, 100m and 200m free in the 12-under category.

Janelle Alisa Lin of Dagupan City had three golds—200m IM, 200m free and 200m back—in the girls’ 12 and below while Mark Jiron Rotoni of Quezon City topped the 100m breast stroke, 200m IM and 200m breast in the boys’ 13-17 age bracket.

Other gold medalists on the track were Cebu’s Samantha Limos (girls’ 13-15 100m dash), Veruel Verdadero of Dasmariñas City (boys’ 13-15 100m), Eliza Cuyom of Dasmariñas City (girls’ 16-17 100m), Cebu’s Set Abram Pilapil (boys’ 16-17 100m), Maryland Torres of Bago City (girls’ 16-17 discus throw), Jan Mervin Francisco of Dasmariñas (boys’ 13-15 javelin) and Tyronne Exequiel Flores of Dasmariñas (boys’ 16-17 discus throw).

Limos, 14, retained her 100m title in 12.41 seconds and ran 12.39 during the semifinal heat that could have easily broken her 12.48 record last year in Cebu City.

But Philippine Amateur Track and Field Association secretary general Renato Unso ruled out a possible new record due to the wind velocity on the track that affected the speed of the race.

South Cotabato’s Marizel Buer won the gold in the javelin throw girls 13-15 and Aklan’s Sheila Talia topped the long jump for girls 16-17.