Quirino sparks gold chase

TAGUM CITY—Moira Frances Erediano is amazed at how triathletes survive the Ironman on the humid streets of Lapu-Lapu City.

Watching them grind it out on the bike and run sequences of the race, the 13-year-old knew at once it was the right sport for her.

“I joined the Ironkids for the first time this year and finished second,” said Erediano after clinching the first pair of gold medals with Joseff Miguel Quirino in the Philippine National Youth Games-Batang Pinoy National Championships in this  Davao del Norte capital.

Erediano, a Grade 6 student from Sacred Heart-Ateneo de Cebu, clocked 11 minutes and 40 seconds in the girls’ 13-14 cycling criterium race and used the event as preparation for today’s triathlon.

“It will definitely build my confidence in the (triathlon) race,” said Erediano, who watched the Ironman and Ironkids every year in her hometown Lapu-Lapu City.

Erediano defeated Jeana Mariel Canete of Cebu province, 1:21 behind, and Alexie Guiburan of Bukidnon (same time) in the eight-kilometer criterium held in front of the Tagum City Hall.

Quirino, a 13-year-old from Malaybalay, Bukidnon, ruled the boys’ 13-14 in exactly 10 minutes to nip Clifford Pusing of Olongapo City (same time) and Christian Acedo of Davao City, six seconds back.

Genesis Marana of San Jose, Nueva Ecija, later joined them on the podium with two gold medals in the girls’ 14-15 and 17-under criterium races.

The 15-year-old Marana, cousin of former cycling Tour of Luzon standouts Ariel and Dominador Marana, timed 14:34 in the 14-15 age bracket to beat Myra Regina Acedo and Karen Manayon of Cebu, who both crossed the line five seconds back.

“I wasn’t even thinking about my cousins. I just enjoy riding my bike every day,” said Marana, a track and field bronze medalist (110m low hurdles) in the 2013 Palarong Pambansa in Dumaguete City.

Marana’s shift to cycling yielded a 23:30 clocking in the girls’ 17-under criterium race, besting Veronica Deldio of Olongapo City and Manayon, both of them   two seconds behind.

Other gold winners in the criterium were Lipa City’s Jose Emmanuel Valdivia (boys’ 14-15) and Thomas Mojares (boys’ 17-under), who is being eyed for the national team.

Medal-rich swimming, which initially offered 24 gold medals Sunday, had to be postponed with several other disciplines in lieu of the opening ceremony at the Davao Del Norte Sports and Tourism Complex here.

Heading the ceremony of the Games, which enticed over 9,600 athletes 17 years old and below all over the country, were House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, Davao del Norte Gov. Anthony Del Rosario and Rep. Antonio Floirendo Jr., Philippine Sports Commission Chair William Ramirez and commissioners Celia Kiram and Charles Maxey.