Palaro first-timer is Games’ first record-breaker

SAN JOSE, Antique—For 42 days, James Lozañes worked with weights and endured field training under a scorching sun.

The strenuous preparations paid handsome dividends for the javelin thrower from Estancia, Iloilo, who became the first record-breaker in the 60th Palarong Pambansa at Binirayan Sports Complex on Monday.

Lozañes, an incoming 11th grader from Estancia National High School, hurled the spear 59.46 meters on his third attempt to smash the record for secondary boys’ javelin, set by Bryan Pacheco of Central Luzon (57.81m) during the 2013 Palaro in Dumaguete City.

Ronald Lacson of Western Visayas settled for the silver medal with a throw of 57.30m and Manny Maquiling of Northern Mindanao placed third with 54.66m.

“I trained for 42 straight days,” said Lozañes, sixth of seven children of a fisherman. “I worked out with my dumbbells thrice a day and focused on the throwing technique.”

The Western Visayas regional champion, wearing a pair of cross-trainers instead of the usual spiked shoes, won the Palaro gold despite picking up the sport only last January.

“If I can’t make it to the national team, I hope to become a policeman someday,” said Lozañes, who will seek a second gold in the discus throw Tuesday.

At the start of the five-day track and field competitions, a barefooted Jay Ann Labasano of Camiguin ruled the 3000m race for secondary girls in 10 minutes and 32.67 seconds.

Labasano, a farmer’s daughter with seven siblings, beat Jie Anne Calis of National Capital Region (10:41.15) to the gold.
Maria Junaliza Abutas of Ilocos (10:44.68) took the bronze. Labasano is eyeing another gold in the 1500m.

Cesar Fernandez of Sagay City, Negros Occidental, bested Kent Celeste of Ilocos for the gold in the secondary boys’ high jump. Although both hurdled 1.90m, the 17-year-old Fernandez prevailed because she cleared the bar on his first try.

Maria Sally San Jose of Calabarzon topped the elementary girls’ shot put with a 10.70m effort with Rhealyn Decosta of Western Visayas collecting the silver (9.98m) and Juweliza Sarabosing of Northern Mindanao taking the bronze (9.33m).

Medal-rich swimming, featuring record-holder Maurice Sacho Ilustre—who won eight gold medals in the previous Palaro—begins today with 16 gold medals at stake.

Gold medalists in the week-long Games for elementary and high school athletes will receive P3,000 each in cash incentives.