Puerto Princesa City—An archer from Cebu and a long-distance swimmer from Cotabato Province joined two swimmers Aubrey Tom and Mark Bryan Dula in finishing their campaign with five gold medals each on Day 3 of the Batang Pinoy National Finals here. at the Ramon V. Mitra Sports Complex here.
There are now five quintuple gold medallists after gymnast Karl Eldrew Yulo conquered the men’s artistic gymnastics meet on Tuesday.
The 14-year-old Aldriner Igot Jr., who went into serious training only last summer, tallied 328 points at the end of the 50-meter event as he completed a 5-of-5 finish in the Cub Boys’ archery event.
“It’s my training last summer. I was not serious before,” said Igot, an eighth grader at the Don Carlos A. Gothong Memorial High School in Cebu City.
Igot, who got into archery because of his elder brother Orlando, who is in the national team, also topped the 20-meter, 30-meter, 40-meter and the Fita events, allow him to make up for his two-bronze medal haul last year.
Fifteen-year-old swimmer Alexander Talosig became the day’s first quintuple gold winner as he added a fifth gold in the 15-under boys’ category, ruling his final event in the 400-meter freestyle in 4:02.03.
Talosig, a fifth grader at the Southern Christian School, said he was tired because of his other events, where he submitted slow times.
His other gold medal conquests came in the 200-meter individual medley, 1500-meter freestyle, 400meter IM and the 200-meter freestyle.
Dula, a fifth grader from Masvile National High School in Paranaque, claimed his fifth mint in the 12-under 50-meter backstroke, hitting a time of 1:08.11, which is seven seconds faster than his Luzon qualifying time.
“Masaya po ako. Straight 5,” said Dula, who is heading for New Clark City for the coming the National Open.
Dula took the gold in the 50-meter backstroke, the 100-meter butterfly, the 50-meter butterfly and the 200-meter backstroke.
The 12-year-old Tom, a seventh grader who transferred to the University of Philippines Integrated School, gave it a big push to grab her fifth mint in the 50-meter freestyle in 28.93.
Tom, who will soon see action in the coming season 82 of the UAAP swim meet, missed her target time of 28.76 seconds.
“I prayed to God to give me this. I really wanted this,” said Tom, who is also into running for crosstraining. She won the 3-km run of the Milo Marathon race two months ago.
In athletics, Calamba City’s Erica Marie Ruto snared her second gold medal in the girls’ 200 meters in 26.1 seconds, enabling her to avenge her 100-meter silver-medal finish to Bacolod rival Krisha Aguilon, who had a 2-3 finish with Karen Mae Pelegria in 26.9 seconds.
“Binawi ko ang talo ko sa 100-meter run. Nag-reserba ako ng lakas sa last 70 meters,” said Ruto, a 10th grader at Canlubang Integrated School
Camarines Sur’s barefoot runner Lheslie de Lima made up for a premature to breakaway to win the girls’ 1500-meter run in 11:23.3 as she emerged some three seconds ahead of Bacolod’s Joyce Satia.
De Lima now was two golds and a silver, which she got after Margvylle Matchino fought her for the gold in the 1500-meter run the other day.
“Ubos lakas ako sa last 1500 meters. Bawi sa talo kahapon,” said de Lima.
Talosig’s younger sister, 13-year-old Jie Angela Mikaela, collected her third gold in the 400m free for girls’ 15-under by clocking 4:42.89.
Naina Dominique Tagle of Dumaguete took in golds in the 40m, 50m and fita to hike her total to four.
