Ilagan City—A farmer’s daughter hoping of someday making it to the Philippine team boosted that dream by leaping a jaw-dropping 1.71 meters to set a new national junior record in the girls’ high jump on Saturday in the 2018 Ayala Philippine Athletics Championships at the Ilagan City Sports Complex here
Participating in the girls’ heptathlon, 17-year-old Dasmariñas City East Integrated High School student Evangeline Caminong achieved the feat in her second attempt as she smashed the 1.69-meter record of Kaylene Mosqueda during the Philippine Sports Commission– Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association Weekly Relay in 2016 at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City.
Though it was only one of the six events in the prestigious heptathlon and didn’t offer a gold medal yet, Caminong’s feat was nonetheless impressive as the new record more than made up for her loss to Ateneo rival Alexie Mae Caimoso, who scored two big victories at her expense in the past.
Caminong settled for a bridesmaid finish in the Palarong Pambansa last April in Vigan to Camioso before falling short anew in her rematch here with the Lady Eagle jumper, who once again took home the girls’ high jump gold medal. Camioso registered 1.65 meters in the individual girls’ high jump to best the 1.60M of Caminong on Friday.
“Pambawi ko po ito kasi natalo ako (ni Camioso) sa Palaro at sa individual event,” she said after getting her rivals’ number on her third try.
Caminong later bagged her first gold after ruling her other individual event—the girls’ long jump with a 5.23-meter tally.
With the record-breaking feat, Caminong could receive a minimum reward of P20,000 as promised by PATAFA President Dr. Philip Ella Juico for record-breaking athletes.
“Gustong-gusto ko po mapasama sa national team dahil iyon po ang pride na mabibigay ko sa pamilya ko na nagtiis pong mahiwalay ako sa kanila,” added Caminong, who left her home in San Vicente, Palawan to get an athletic scholarship in Manila.
Caminong’s sacrifices to gain free education in the Big City finally paid off after being recruited to National University this school year to somehow ease the burden off her farmer father, who is taking care of her and three other siblings as a single parent since 2010.
Meanwhile, national team member John Albert Mantua duplicated the feat of Philippine Army’s Richard Salaño as the most bemedalled male athlete thus far here by clinching his second gold medal in the third day of the five-day athletics spectacle presented by Ayala Corp. and the City of Ilagan, with support from Milo, the Philippine Sports Commission, Foton, Cocolife, Rebisco and F2 Logistics.
Also the winner of men’s shot put on opening day, Mantua owned the men’s discus throw by recording 46.45 meters, beating teammate Rogelio de Borja (37.65M) and La Union’s Mark Anthony Talisay (36.18M).
Palaro standout Eliza Cuyom became the most successful junior athlete in the APAC with two gold medals so far after her triumph in girls’ 100-meter hurdles and the girls’ 4×100-meter relay.
Also hailing from Dasmarinas City, Cuyom has a chance to clinch a third gold medal after topping the heats for girls’ 100 meter dash yesterday.
In men’s triple jump, 2017 Southeast Asian Games silver medalist Mark Harry Diones registered 15.93 meters to edge out Malaysian Andrei Anura (15.57M) and national team member Ronne Malipay (15.38M), while Philippine Army’s Rosie Villarito (44.66M) ruled the women’s javelin throw.
In long-distance races, Lambert Padua of Run Rio—University of the Philippines logged 1 hour, 59 minutes and 1.55 seconds to own the rigorous men’s 20,000-meter walk, while Team Titus’ Carlos De Imus won the boys’ 5,000-meter walk after clocking in 28:20:86.
Ateneo bets Henry Gonzales (5, 464 points) and Mark Matthew Operario (5,238 points) meanwhile proved to be the strongest athletes in this year’s APAC after completing a twin gold medal in men’s and boys’ decathlon.
Not to be left behind are the crème of the crop of Philippine athletics who stamped their class in this year’s APAC as a preparation for the 2018 Asian Games set in August in Indonesia.
Olympian Marestella Torres-Sunang sustained her reign in women’s long jump after tallying 6.16 meters, while 2017 Southeast Asian Games double-gold medalist Anthony Trenten Beram kept his 200-meter dash crown with a time of 21.11 seconds.
He edged out 100-meter specialist and teammate Eric Cray (21.79s) and Joan Caido (22.07) of Baguio.
As of press time, 2016 Rio De Janeiro Olympian Cray is looking to atone for his 200-meter run loss to Beram in his pet event 100-meter dash later yesterday.