Julia Jewels Poblete proved to be the most precious swimmer in the Visayas leg as she sparkled with a seven-gold medal haul to lead the Iloilo Megakraken Swim Team to the overall team title in the recent FINIS National Long Course Championship at the Iloilo Sports Complex Swimming pool in La Paz, Iloilo City.
The eight-year-old tanker swept her seven events in the girls’ 7-8 class of the 200m Individual Medley (4:01.73), 100m butterfly (2:01.81), 50m backstroke (50.96), 50m fly (55.36), 100m back (1:50.36), 50m breaststroke (58.57) and 100m freestyle (1:37.34) to help her team claim the overall team title (1,432.5 points).
“We’re very proud not just of our medalists, but of all the swimmers and their coaches for their enormous effort just to be able to join the competition. I wanted to make special mention of the three-man Binirayan Tadpoles Swim Club (Princess Maria Galindo, Johnny Quimpang, and coach Patricia Anne Galindo). The recent typhoon ‘Paeng’ washed away the bridge in Antique and it was very hard for their whole swim team to get across,” said FINIS Managing Director Vince Garcia.
“So majority of their teammates gave up and just chose not to join the swim meet anymore. But this trio made a headstrong decision to still participate. They had to use a zip line to cross the water to get to the other side so they can compete in swimming this weekend. Hearts made of these are surely bound to become champions. We are so glad to have you in our swim meet. Thank you for gracing our swim event,” added Garcia.
Garcia said he is hoping to get the same energy and excitement from young swimmers as the series shifts with the holding of the Mindanao leg on November 12 and 13 at the Joaquin F. Enriquez Memorial Sports Complex Swimming Pool in Zamboanga City.
The series culminates with the Luzon Leg on November 26 and 27 at the New Clark City Aquatic Center in Capas, Tarlac.
Top swimmers after the series will clash in a swim-off for the coveted National Championship on December 17 and 18, also in Clark.
“Just like our previous short course meet, nag-start din kami ng Long Course record holders. Lahat ng gold medalists ‘yun na ang start of the record holders for Visayas. We will do the same for Mindanao and Luzon. And finally, the Finis Long Course National Records after the finals,” said Garcia, an active triathlete and ‘Godfather’ to the TODO Para Triathletes team.
The JBLFMU Dolphin Swim Team finished 1st runner-up in the overall team standings with 837.5 points, followed by Iloilo Tiger Shark Swim Team (612 4), Iloilo Sea Warriors Swim Club (534), Aklan Swimming Club (367 6), Capiz Eaglerays Swimming Club (341), Capiz Turbo Sharks Swim Club (333 8), Sta FE Crocs (150), Buddy Swim Team (135) and Pirates Swim Club (110).
JM Matthew Bata shared the limelight as he claimed two gold medals for Megakraken, topping the boys’ 11-12 class of the 50m freestyle (31.32) and 50m back (36.84), while his older sister Jilian Celestine Bata won in the girls’ 13-14 class of the 60m back (36.59).