Ilagan, Isabela—A national mark fell after Fil-heritage sprinters Angel Frank, Umajesty Williams, Danae Manibog-Gatewood, Lauren Hoffman and John Cabang lived up to their dreams and the expectations of many in earning gold and silver medals in the 400-meter sprints and 100-meter hurdles in the ongoing ICTSI Philippine Athletics Championships at the Ilagan Sports Complex here.
Frank gave herself a fitting present on the eve of her 22nd birthday by surpassing a Philippine national record as she came up with a podium finish with Manibog-Gatewood in the women’s 400-meter run.
The 5’8” Frank did this after she and Manibog-Gatewood took the gold and silver, pulling off upsets over members of the Vietnamese national team, which includes two who were part of the 4×400 meter relay squad that won the gold medal in the 2022 Southeast Asian Games.
Frank, who was inspired by Kristina Knott’s qualification to the Tokyo Olympics, said she is fulfilling a dream when she clocked 53.69 seconds and surpassed the 53.81-second performance of Kayla Richardson during the Mt. SAC Relays back in 2017.
“It feels like a dream coming true. After watching Kristina Knott run at the Olympics, I mentioned it to my father after seeing her run. And it kind of inspired me to push myself,” said Frank, a member of the varsity team of the University of South Carolina.
The Clovis, California-based Manibog-Gatewood, who paid tribute to her grandfather, Filipino wrestler and 1952 Olympic veteran Gonzalo Monte-Manibog, landed second behind Frank in 54.73 seconds.
Both of them took the lead upon reaching the second turn, leaving behind three Vietnamese, national under-20 champion Hoang Thi Minh Hanh and SEA Games gold medalist, relay runners Nguyen Thi Hang and Nguyen Thi Ngoc, who settled for third, fourth and fifth respectively.
Manibog-Gatewood later joined Richardson in reaching the women’s 200-meter finals by placing first and third in the heats with times of 24.23 seconds and 24.67 seconds.
Umajesty Williams took the men’s gold in 47.15 seconds and hit the SEA Games’ silver medal standard of 47.27 seconds. He is now close to getting a second medal in the men’s 200-meters.
The 23-year-old Williams, a masters student at the Grand Canyon University, said the gold-medal win of Frank was truly inspiring and he looks forward to breaking the national mark of Isidro del Prado(45.57) set in 1984.
“It feels like I got some work to do. I may have won, but, that’s not the time I want,” said Williams, who later topped the 200-meter heats in 21.20 seconds, finishing ahead of two Iraqis, Taha Hussein Yaseen and Mohammed Al-Tameemi.
Earlier, Hoffman got overtaken in the last 10 meters by Vietnamese My Thien Huynh Thi, who won the gold in 13.59 seconds in the women’s 100-meter hurdles.
Running her first race in the event after four years, Hoffman clocked 13.72 seconds for second place, a time which matched the SEA Games’ bronze medal standard.
“I hope I can bring my time down. She is a good competitor,” said Hoffman on her effort to beat Nguyen.
Cabang, a Fil-Spanish bet from Tolosa, Spain, upset an off-form and two-time Southeast Asian Games’ men’s 110-meter hurdles champion Clinton Kingsley Bautista for the gold medal in 14.35 seconds.
Bautista took the silver in 14.40 seconds.
In other results Thursday, national team member Christine Hallasgo took home the gold in the 10,000-m Open Division for women with a new personal best of 36 minutes and 38.54 seconds,
Hallasgo improved her recent best of 37:19.51, while Art Joy Torregosa of Cebu City (40:09.20) settled for the silver and Ailene Tolentino of the Philippine Army (40:58.34) claimed the bronze.
Nani Sahirh Maryata of Malaysia’s throw of 14.69m gave her gold in the women’s shot put, with of Jamela de Asis of the University of Santo Tomas (12.50) taking silver.
Aira Teodosio’s effort of 12.36m was enough to give her the bronze for her second medal after winning the discus throw gold the other day.
Mark Anthony Estoya of Team Pasig was the gold medalist of the 3000-meter race walk, following the disqualification of two lead runners, with a time of 24:58.96,
Peter Lachica of the University of the Philippines was the silver medalist 25:07.08 and Larry Andaya of the Philippine Army took bronze medal (27:50.39).