LINGAYEN, Pangasinan—Three future stars emerged with record-breaking performances as West Visayas and the National Capital Region continued to dominate the centerpiece event of track and field and swimming at the 2012 Palarong Pambansa here.
Ronald Lacson and Angelica de Josef set new marks and boosted the West Visayans’ golden haul in athletics to 15 at the Narciso Ramos Sports and Civic Center with Maureen Emily Schrijvers of NCR grabbing a piece of the limelight with a record win in the girls’ high school high jump.
Lacson posted 53.47 meters in the boys’ elementary javelin throw to rip the 14-year-old mark of 51.88m by Jonah Robles of Calabarzon, while De Josef clocked 2 minutes 18.8 seconds and smashed the girls’ elementary 800-meter mark of 2:24.38 set by Lovilyn Pamatian also of WV in the Palaro edition in San Jose, Tarlac, two years ago.
A recent graduate of St. Stephen’s School and already the winner of the 100m Wednesday, Schrijvers cleared 1.62m in her third and final try to break the old mark of 1.60m by Mariz Oconer of Calabarzon in 2002.
“I really wanted to set a new record and hopefully get noticed by national team coaches,” said the pretty, 16-year-old Schrijvers, who won three golds as an elementary ace in 2008 in Palawan.
Born in Manila to a Chinese mother and a Belgian father, Schrijvers, already the most popular athlete on the track because of her talent and looks, will gun for a third gold when she sees action in the 200m today.
Catherine Bondad touched off a four-gold bonanza for NCR in swimming yesterday at the Dagupan Poolsite with the 13-year-old incoming sophomore at San Beda-Alabang securing her third gold medal with a win in the girls’ high school 800m with a time of 9:50.48.
Joshua Benzi Yang also nailed a third gold after winning the boys’ elementary 50m backstroke, while Andria Ysabel Canlas (girls’ elementary 50m back) and Maurice Sacho Ilustre (boys’ elementary 400m free) also won for NCR.
After two days in the pool, NCR has cornered 21 of the 36 golds disputed.
In lawn tennis, Cagayan Valley upset NCR to win the boys’ high school team event with Caraga taking the girls’ high school team crown and Central Visayas nailing the boys’ elementary team title.
Region 2’s Jan Reyzon Amandoron, Alexis Ondoy, Fritz Satera and Jude Tabotabo stunned NCR’s Andrew Joshua Cano, Lorenzo Luna Hilbert San Jose and Bruce Ivan Valenzuela.
Caraga scored through Jzash Eale Canja, Nikki Rey Arandia, Trina Angel Factora and Marie Gold Nagret while the winning Central Visayas’ team was made up of Arthur Craig Pantino, John Clyde Laquio, Jan Godfrey Seno and Gener Francis Lambayan.
In badminton, held at the CSI stadia in Dagupan, NCR topped the girls’ HS team tie through Sarah Joy Barredo, Joyce Pauline Santos, Aldreen rae Concepcio and Mikaela Francine Vargas.
Cagayan Valley snared the boys’ team gold through Carl Bernard Bejasa, Ryan Jay Doromal, James Ryan Navarette and Gener Sosa.