Tagum City—Sisters Liaa Margarette and Lora Micah Amoguis turned the pool into their own playground as they collected a total of three gold medals in the swimming competition of the 2019 Batang Pinoy Mindanao leg Wednesday at the Davao del Norte Sports and Tourism Complex here.
The younger Liaa dominated the girls’ 12-under 100-meter butterfly and 200m individual medley while Lora made waves in the girls’ 13-15 200m individual medley to jack up Davao City’s medal haul in this prestigious age-group tourney for young athletes 15 years old and below.
Liaa registered one minute and 11.2 seconds to grab the gold in the 100m butterfly before storming back to rule the 200m individual medley with a clocking of 2:39, a performance that is a fitting follow up to her golden haul of six mints in the Davao Regional Athletic Association last week.
Liaa still has a chance to match that feat as she sees action in four more events in the next couple of days of this tourney organized by the Philippine Sports Commission and Province of Davao del Norte with STI College-Tagum and Alfalink Total Solutions Corp. as backers.
Lora, on the other hand, clocked 2:35.06 to clinch the mint in the 200m individual medley before settling for the silver medal with a time of 33.97 seconds in the girls’ 13-15 50m backstroke.
Gene Heart Quiambao of Bukidnon beat her for the gold with 33.69 seconds.
Still, the performance was such an impressive feat for the sisters, who are looking to test their mettle against prominent tankers from Manila in the national finals in October either in Tagbilaran City or Ormoc City.
“We motivate each other. When she feels down, I motivate her. When I feel down, she motivates me as well. That’s how close we are,” said the 13-year-old Lora, who still has four more events.
“I’m excited to play in the national finals and race against other swimmers. Even though there are other swimmers from other regions, my goal is not to win medals. I just want to beat my time. That’s it.”
Liaa, for her part, is looking to scale a higher mountain.
“My dream is to beat the Palarong Pambansa record,” said Liaa, 11-year-old kid wonder from The Abba’s Orchard School who already represented the country in the recent BIMP-EAGA Friendship Games in Brunei.
Also emerging victorious in this centerpiece sport were Blu Cabilete of Davao, Yuan Taojo of Davao, Albren Dayapdapan of Dipolog and Rain Tumulac of Davao.
Cabilete clocked 29.91 to shine in the boys’ 13-15 50m backstroke, while Taojo registered 40.85 in the boys’ 12-under 50m backstroke, Dayapdapan tallied 32.65 seconds in the boys’ 13-15 50m breaststroke and Tumulac timed 1:14.68 in the boys’ 12-under 100m butterfly.
In archery, 15-year-old John Carlo Loreno harvested five gold medals for Koronadal City with victories in the cadet boys 30-meter, 40m, 50m, 60m and single FITA events.
“I hope to win more,” said Loreno, who is in his third Batang Pinoy appearance.
Precious Micah Basadre also shared the podium with victories in the cadet girls’ 30m, 40m, 50m and single FITA, while younger brother Jeremiah Adrian ruled the cub boys 20m, 30m, 50m and single FITA.
Youngest sibling Justin Matthew reigned supreme in the bowman boys Olympic round and single FITA.