N. Luzon archers hit mark, bag 14 golds

ILOILO CITY—Archers from Northern Luzon swept the 14 golds in archery in the Philippine Olympic Committee-Philippine Sports Commission Batang Pinoy 2012 National Finals on Friday at La Paz Plaza football field here.

Baguio City’s Kareek Meer Hongitan and May Queen Ybañez of San Fernando City in La Union each had five gold medals in a display of total domination by the Northern Luzon qualifiers in this annual competition for athletes aged 15 years old and below.

Hongitan bagged the gold in the 30-meter, 40-meter, 50-meter, 60-meter and single fita cadet girls division while Ybañez ruled the 20-meter, 30-meter, 40-meter, 50-meter and single fita cub girls.

Hongitan had 333 hits in the 30-m event to run away with the gold against Antique’s Eunice Luna (301) and Muñoz City’s Irene Cara (293). She had 279 in 40-m, 281 in the 50-m, 263 in the 60-m and 1151 in single fita events for a five-gold sweep of her category.

Ybañez was equally impressive with 330 hits in the 20-m to win the gold against Althea Nasha Dionaldo (315 SO-X) and Crisha Mae Merto (315 SO-10) both from Dumaguete City. Her 314 in the 30-m, 327 in the 40-m, 283 in the 50-m and 1254 in the single fita also topped the said events.

Nueva Ecija’s Atanacio Pellicer won the gold in the 30-m cub boys while Baguio City’s Abelardo Villamor bagged the gold in the 30-m and 50-m cadet boys events. La Union’s Arvin Ballesteros won the 20-m cub boys.

At La Paz Plaza covered gym, Pangasinan defeated Zamboanga, 18-16, in the finals of the boys 3×3 basketball event. In the girls division, Sta. Rosa beat host province Iloilo, 15-9, for the gold medal.

At the ISC sports complex, Makati City’s Magali Echauz and Sixto Lalanto of Cagayan de Oro City ruled the girls and boys triathlon events respectively.

Echauz, a second-year high school student in St. Paul Pasig, submitted 20 minutes and 28 seconds to bag the gold medal in the 250-meter swim-5-klometer bike-1.2-kilometer run event. Lalanto, bronze medalist last year in Naga City, clocked 17 minutes and 57.28 seconds for the gold.