New Clark City– Sixteen-year-old Miguel Barreto upset two-time Olympian Jessie Khing Lacuna on Monday evening to clinch a national team slot in the men's 400-meter freestyle event in Day 3 of the on-going 1st Philippine National Open Swimming Championships at the New Clark City Aquatics Center in Capas, Tarlac.
Barreto claimed the gold with a 4 minute and 3.58 second clocking, while Lacuna was close behind with 4:03.93.
On the other hand, Fil-foreign bet Thomas Peregrina placed third with a bronze-medal time of 4:07.56.
Barreto and Lacuna will now team up for the event in the coming 30th Southeast Asian Games after having posted the top two best times during the entire qualifying period.
Earlier, national junior national record holder Rian Marco Tirol and University Athletic Association of the Philippines champion Joy Rodgers clinched national teams slots in the 50m breaststroke event.
National record holder James Deiparine, who already earned a seat to the national team, clocked 27.99 seconds, followed by Samuel John Alcos (29.81).
Tirol replaced Alcos in the national squad because of time.
Alcos took the silver in this event, but he was not able to able to surpass the EA Games' qualifying time of 29.37.
Rodgers earned the right to represent the country in the 50m Breast event at this year’s SEA Games, with Desirae Mangaoang, the Philippines' top bet, with her time of 33.20.
Junior national record holder Thanya de la Cruz emerged second at 35.21 seconds,which was slower than her preliminary time of 34.10 seconds.
Philippine Swimming Inc. president Lailani Velasco is currently monitoring progress of the final tryouts for the national team in the last four days.
Velasco said the scheduled days for test event of the Games have been stretched from the original plan of two days to four.
This is because authorities at the Bases Conversion Development Authority and the Philippine SEA Games Organizing Committee are testing the equipment being used for the meet.