Eighteen-year-old Quendy Fernandez quietly took centerstage on another wet and rainy day, smashing a five-year-old meet record at the start of aquatics’ competitions in the 2023 Palarong Pambansa in Marikina City on Tueday.
Fernandez, who is from Puerto Princesa City, almost went unnoticed when she finished the secondary girls’ 100-meter backstroke in one minute and 6.35 seconds.
A standout from the Puerto Princesa City National High School, Fernandez erased the 2018 mark of NCR swimmer Samantha Coronel (1:06.58).
National youth aspirants Peter Cyrus Dean and Jie Talosig also made noise with their gold-medal victories in the secondary boys’ 100-meter backstroke and secondary girls’ 400-meter freestyle, respectively.
Dean, who is set to join his first Southeast Asian age group stint with Talosig this month, gave Region IV-A its first podium finish with his 1:00.69 performance.
“Pakiramdam ko po, mabigat. Pero kaya ko naman po ihataw. Iba po iyung pakiramdam ko sa tubig,” said the 16-year-old Dean.
A student at the Manuel S. Enverga University in Lucena, Dean was ahead of Region VI’s Jemuel de Leon (1:00.85) and Lance Cruz of NCR (1:01.85)
Talosig blasted the opposition with a fast time of 4:38.98, almost 11 seconds in front of National Capital Region’s Athena Chang, who took the silver in 4:48.97. Illiazel Dollente, also from NCR, landed third in 4:50.2.
The 17-year-old Talosig, an 11th grader from Midsayap, North Cotabato, said this is just the start of her long campaign as she is also entered in four other events.
“Simula pa lang po ito. May apat pa po akong events,” said Talosig, on her first-ever gold after joining two empty-handed Palaro stints in the past.
In athletics, slippery conditions on the playing turf slowed down participants in secondary javelin meet over at the Philsports Oval in Pasig.
But Masbate’s Anna Bianca Espenilla, an 11th grader at Masbate Sports Academy, stood her ground and heaved the spear to a 42.81-meter distance for the gold.
Region VI’s Avegail Biliran was more than seven meters behind for silver (35.54 meters), followed in third by Region II’s Nathesia Moro (34.87 seconds).
Espenilla, who was heaving more than 45 meters during last year’s Batang Pinoy meet, said she could not duplicate her throws because of the slippery conditions on the field.
Region I’s Marjorie Ragudo claimed the secondary girls’ high jump gold with leap of 1.58 meters, with Region IV-A’s Evita Belloso and Region IV-B’s Nikki Dalnay settling for the silver and bronze, respectively.
Region IV-A Lorraine Batalla ruled the 3000-meter run, with Asia Paraaso (VII), and Mariel Malinao (VIII) in second and third.