Vigan, Ilocos Sur—Leonalyn Compuesto crowned herself as Masbate’s golden girl as she scooped her fifth gold, lifting the province to the overall honors in athletics during the final day of the Philippine Sports Commission-organized Batang Pinoy national championships here.
The 15-year-old Compuesto served as anchor of Team Masbate in the 4×400 meter relay team as they logged a clocking of four minutes and 14.96 seconds, to beat Loraine Batalla’s Calamba City squad, which was far behind at 4:29.30 at the Quirino Stadium oval.
A prized find from the Placer district, Compuesto lifted Team Masbate to its best time after topping the heats in 4:17.40.
Masbate went on to collect a total of 11 golds, six silvers and seven bronze medals to claim the no. 1 position in athletics.
Compuesto, a former Palarong Pambansa elementary champion, collapsed again when she reached the finish line, after claiming a fourth gold, following a close shave with South Cotabato’s Schenley Ombid in the 100-meter sprints.
The 4’9” Compuesto and Ombid finished together, submitting equal times of 13.11, but Compuesto’s downward movement of her head during a video review gave her the gold.
“Binigay ko po iyung best ko para manalo, para makuha iyung five golds,” said the Masbate Sports Academy 10th grader, who fainted at the finish line of the century dash, but quickly recovered after medics tended to her at the infirmary.
First timers Realyn Lanuza, Jesalyn Materdan and Alessandra Capellan led Masbate in its initial efforts in the relays.
“Hinahabol naming iyung record. Nakuha na nila iyung best time nila sa heats, guso ko na makuha pa nila iyung best niya,” said athlete-turned Masbate coach Regine Batoy-Librando, a triple gold medallist in the 2018 Philippine National Games in Cebu.
Later in the day, archer Miguel Carlos of Puerto Princesa came up with a memorable showing of seven gold medals and emerged as the most bemedaled athlete at the end of the weeklong meet.
The 12-year-old Carlos, a Palawan National High School seventh-grader, bested General Santos’ Adrie Sabdielle Gonzaga to top the boys’ Under-13 Olympic archery round for his seventh first-place feat.
Then, Carlos joined with Lizette Mayumi Bagnol to outscore General Santos’ Samantha Isabel Loreno and Romee Jonathan Rioja in snaring the mixed team mint at the San Ildefonso Central School.
Carlos’ domination came after he topped the 20 meters, 25m, 30m, 40m and 1440 events.
“Na-surprise kami sa seven golds na nakuha niya, pero he deserves it kasi masipag siya sa training,” said Carlos’ father-coach Ramil.
Two more archers, Jathniel Caleb Fernandez of Baguio and Adrianna Jessie Magbojos, grabbed the limelight in the U10 boys’ and girls’ Olympic round to finish with six golds apiece.
It came after the two claimed golds in the 10m, 15m, 20m, 30m in the final events during the previous days.
Lucena City’s Julian de Kam joined Compuesto in claiming a fifth gold medal, this time at the Quirino pool, when he and teammates Mikos Trinidad, Peter Cyrus Dean and Sahjeed Sarmientos dominated the boys’ 13-15 year old 4×50 meter freestyle relay.
The 15-year-old De Kam, a ninth grader at the Calayan Educational Foundation, was the first swimmer on the pool for Lucena as the team took the gold in 1:47.38, ahead of Bulacan (1:50.13).
“Mahirap ang nangyari sa competition. Muntik pa ako mag-third sa 100-butterfly. Sa relays, ginawa namin lahat para maka-gold,” said De Kam, whose other golds came in the boys’ 400-meter freestyle and in the 1500m freestyle, 100-m butterfly and 200m freestyle.