SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA, Antique—Defending champion Maurice Sacho Ilustre lowered a meet record he set two years ago by more than three minutes, and moved closer to a Philippine junior mark.
The 17-year-old Ilustre drew raves after he finished the secondary boys 200-meter backstroke event in two minutes, 44.88 seconds yesterday in the start of the 2017 Palarong Pambansa swimming competitions.
His clocking was better than the meet mark of 2:07.28 which Ilustre set back in 2015, and it was close to Jessie Khing Lacuna’s national 16-18 year old record time of 2:03.01 set in the 2010 Asian Games.
He even surpassed the time of James Walsh (2:06.76), in the 2004 Olympiad.
“This is my favorite. I made a big splash in the second 100-meter mark of my race,” said Ilustre, who earned two medals that afternoon after he earlier took the 400-meter freestyle honors.
A total of four swim records fell. The next two came after newcomer Jerald Jacinto earned also two golds after he reset the meet mark in the secondary boys 100-meter backstroke mark twice, and anchored NCR to a record finish in the 4x50meter medley relays.
Then, there’s La Salle Zobel standout Nicole Meah Pamintuan, who reset the four-year-old mark in the 100-meter backstroke in the preliminaries, 1:07.12, before winning the gold in the finals on a slower time.
Region 11’s Mathieu Tao shared the limelight with two golds in the elementary boys 200 meter freestyle and 100-meter backstroke.
Sylvann Faith Abunda had to wait four years to get another shot at a podium finish but her patience was rewarded with her first ever Palaro gold medal.
The 17-year-old Abunda heaved a 42.85 meters on her fourth attempt in secondary girls javelin throw, shattering a record that belonged to her teammate.
This handed Northern Mindanao(Region 10) its second gold medal on Day 4, and in the athletics meet yesterday in the 2017 Palarong Pambansa at the Binirayan Sports Complex oval here.
Her feat eclipsed the two-year mark set by teammate Efrelyn Democer of 42.34 meters set two years ago.
Abunda’s effort, which took place under a hot summer morning sun, sapped her energy and she only placed fourth in the shot put competition an hour later.
“Napagod ako. Una, nag-javelin ako. Binuhos ko lahat ng lakas ko. Wala nang natira nung nag shotput na ako,” said Abunda, a 10th grader at Lantapan National High School in Bukidnon.
The last time Abunda won medal was in elementary, when she earned a silver medal during the 2013 Palarong Pambansa in Dumaguete City.
Negros Region’s Anne Katherine Quitoy settled for the silver (40.64), followed by Democer, who took the bronze in 40.43 meters.
Five runners led by University of the East’s Bryan Oxales broke two year old mark in the demo event of the secondary boys 2000-meter walk in 10:11.31.
Oxales surpassed the 11:17.01 mark of Jomar Angga, along with rivals Frances Velasquez (Region 12), Christian Mondejar(Region 11), Renato Panes (IV-A), and Jessie Aliata(Negros).
In the women’s shotput, UE’s standout Kassandra Alcantara finally completed her comeback with an 11.16 meter throw that nearly obliterated Maritess Barrios’ 15 year old mark (11.2).
Region IV-A’s Jane Marie Camboga followed (10.89), along with Daniella Daynata of NCR(10.83 meters).
In gymnastics, NCR continued to dominate after they ruled the women’s artistic events.
Lalaine Hannah Perez and Janielym Buere came up with a 1-2 finish in the individual all-around event before they snared the team gold.
Ana Mikhel Ferraren dominated cluster 1 of the elementary division with 76.9 points, followed by Therese Dimaiwat (region 5) and Alyssa Chavez (Negros).
Lucia Gutierrez ruled cluster 2 for NCR with 55.25 points, with Erliana Bulanadi (Region IV-A) settling for the silver.