Vigan, Ilocos Sur—Palarong Pambansa elementary champion Leonalyn Compuesto enjoyed her first taste of competitions at the secondary level of the athletics meet at the Philippine Sports Commission’s Batang Pinoy National Championship, with still a day left at the Quirinto Stadium in Bantay here.
The 15-year old Compuesto gave it her best shot to rule the girls’ 400-meter run, by quickly taking the lead, before she fainted and collapsed in exhaustion moments after reaching the finish line in one minute and 63/100ths of a second.
This gave Compuesto her third gold medal, lifting Masbate to seven gold medals, six silvers and five bronzes on the Day 3 of the track and field meet.
“Sinunod ko lang iyun sinabi ni coach. Kailangang maging mabilis ako sa umpisa, na parang hinahabol ng asong baliw (run like being chased by a rabid dog),” said Compuesto, who also took the gold medals in the 4×400 meter relays and the 200 meter sprint.
Compuesto, who last competed in the Palarong Pambansa, noted that her times are faster this time around. She seeks to become one of the most productive athletes in the weeklong meet.
She bested Emelyn Balunan of Bohol and Wella Mae Coronado (Olongapo City).
Masbate’s other gold-medal efforts came from Jireh Rance (boys 800-meters), the 1-2 finish of former Palaro elementary standout Leonelyn Compuesto and Realyn Lanuza in the 200-meter girls’ sprints, Courtney Trangia in girls’ discus throw, and Prince Branzuela in the boys’ discus throw.
Ninth grader Alessandra Capellan settled for second place to Pangasinan’s Marjorie Ragudos in the girls’ high jump, with Ragudos clearing 1.30 meters, and Capellan leaping to 1.25 meters.
“This is very impressive dahil naibigay nila ang best nila at nakuha nila ang target time and distance nila,” said athlete-turned coach Regine Batoy-Librando, a triple gold medallist in the 2018 Philippine National Games in Cebu.
Earlier, swimmer Julian Lowers De Kam and Kristian Cabana of Lucena collected their fourth gold medals for Lucena City, which now has 10 golds, four silvers and a bronze.
De Kam, 15, ruled the 400-meter freestyle in four minutes and 26.03 seconds to finish ahead of General Santos’ Evenezir Polancos, Jr. and San Jose Del Monte’s Meynard Geoff Marcelino, who settled for the silver and bronze in 4:26.54 and 4:40.01, respectively.
Earlier, De Kam’s dominated the 1500m freestyle, 100-m butterfly and 200m freestyle days before to become the first quadruple gold winner in the country’s centerpiece grassroots development program.
Cabana, who topped the 200-meter IM, the 100-meter butterfly and the 200-meter freestyle, contributed a fourth gold in the 400-meter freestyle, edging old rival Evenezir Polancos of General Santos by clocking 4:26.54.
“Marami kaming nakuhang gold until the fourth, sana meron pa sa fifth day. My swimmers were good sportsmen. They gave their rivals a good fight,” said Lucena City coach Alton de Luna.
Aubrey Tom of Rizal stayed productive, also with three golds, to go with a silver and a bronze, while Kyla Louise Bulaga of La Union and Jaella Mendoza of Laguna also snared three mints.
Other golden efforts in centerpiece athletics were Calamba’s Loraine Audrey Batalla (girls’ 3000m), Masbate’s Ana Bhianca Espinilla (javelin), Victoria City’s Cejay Murillo (2000m steeplechase) and Binan’s Pi Durdan Wangkay (400m).
On the same track, Marc Angelo Cabiluna of Misamis Oriental, coached by his mom Cherry, added the triple jump mint to his long jump victory a few days back by registering 13.34m, while Imus’ Prince Philip Canja the bronze with a 12.48m.
In the 4x100m universal relay, Pangasinan’s Daniela Joy Peralta, Jolo Mondero, Leslie Villanueva and John Raymark Acosta sprinted their way to gold in 50.88 ahead of Binan’s Hazel Mae Resma, Pi Durden Wangkay, Jamailla Sena and John David Mangilin, who were left with the silver in 51:08.
Muntinlupa’s Angel Mae Librado, Mark Lester Estaco, Samantha Brith Malijan and Juaqui Nicolo Fullo ended up with the bronze in 52.17.