ILOCOS SUR. – Archer Miguel Carlos of Puerto Princesa delivered a performance to remember, hitting the bullseye seven times and emerging as the most bemedaled athlete in the Philippine Sports Commission’s Batang Pinoy that came to a close here Wednesday.
A 12-year-old Palawan National School seventh-grader, Carlos bested Gen. Santos’ Adrie Sabdielle Gonzaga to top the boys’ under-13 Olympic round, a victory that came after he teamed up with Lizette Mayumi Bagnol in edging Gen. Santos’ Samantha Isabel Loreno and Romee Jonathan Rioja in the mixed team event at the San Ildefonso Central School.
Carlos finished with a total of seven gold medals, the most in the five-day day event for 15-year-old athletes, having reigned supreme earlier in the 20m, 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, also shared the spotlight by topping the under-U10 boys’ and girls’ Olympic round to end up with six mints apiece.
They also bagged gold medals in the 10m, 15m, 20m, 30m and final events.
Shining the brightest in centerpiece athletics was Leonelyn Compuesto of Masbate, who added the 100m and the 4x400m relay gold to her magnificent five-gold harvest.
The 15-year-old Masbate Sports Academy student edged South Cotabato’s Schenley Faye Ombid by fraction of a second, 13.11 (.103)-13.11 (.109), to grab the century dash mint and then teamed up with Realyn Lanuza, Jesalyn Materdan and Alessandra Nicole Capellan in the 4x400m relay.
Compuesto, who passed out and was rushed to the nearby clinic after the race but eventually regained consciousness, said she wants to be like her idol, the late great Lydia de Vega-Mercado.
“Gusto ko maging tulad niya, idol ko po siya,” said Compuesto, who completed a sprint sweep after also topping the 200m, 400m and 4x100m.
Other track results saw Pangasinan’s Jolo Mondero (boys 100m), Calamba’s Loraine Audrey Batalla (girls 1500m), Olongapo’s Rafael Guinto (boys 1500m) and Laguna’s Virgilio Ramos, Harris Dhale Canon, John Kyle Batulan and Julius Ceazar Valdenarro (boys 4x400m) all bagging gold.
Over at the pool, Julian Lowers De Kam of Lucena emerged with his fifth gold in the boys’ 13-15 4x50m freestyle relay with Reinielle Mikos Trinidad, Peter Cyrus Dean and Zahjeed Isaac Sarmiento in 1:47.38. It added to his triumphs in the 200m, 400m and 1500m free and 100m butterfly earlier.
In chess at the Baluarte in Vigan, Zhaoyu Capilitan of Cagayan de Oro claimed her third mint in the girls’ under-11 team blitz with Ashzley Aya Nicole Paquinol as the two finished with a combined score of 11 points.
Capilitan’s other golden efforts came in individual and team standard event the day before.
She was gunning for a fourth and fifth gold in the individual and rapid events at press time.
In table tennis, Capiz’s Reiner James Vidal (hopes boys singles), Pangasinan’s Kloe Venice Cascolan (hopes girls singles) and Rhiyana Cryzzel Balisacan (mini-cadet girls singles), Manila’s Khevine Keith Cruz (mini-cadet boys singles), General Santos’ Jebb Jerwin Datahan (cadet boys singles) and Pasig’s Jogyasa Gopii Cabrido (cadet girls singles) all brought home a gold each.
At the end of the meet serving as the country’s centerpiece grassroots development program, Baguio emerged with the most haul with 29 gold, 27 silver and 35 bronzes while Laguna was second with 18-10-13 and Quezon City third with 15-9-13.
Rounding out the top 10 were Lapu Lapu (14-6-5), General Santos (13-12-10), Pasig (13-9-9), Iloilo City (12-10-13), Masbate (11-7-6), Lucena (11-7-3) and Davao City (9-13-28).
