NCR continues to dominate Palaro swim events

MANILA, Philippines – National Capital Region (NCR) continues to harvest medals at the pool events but Cotabato and Cordillera bets are also making their presence felt in a rainy Day 4 of the 2009 Palarong Pambansa jointly hosted by Tacloban City and the Province of Leyte. Thursday’s action was not spared with controversy as MIMAROPA filed a protest against a Calabarzon runner in the 800m run finals in athletics held at the Leyte Sports Development Center in Tacloban City. Salvador Guarin Jr. a runner-up to NCR’s Isidro Del Prado Jr. in last year’s race, crossed the finish line first with a time of one minute and 55.69 seconds to beat MIMAROPA’s Marvin Guarte (1:56.31) and John Allen Aguado of Region XII (1:59.01). But the official acknowledgement of his feat will have to wait as Guarte, who broke Rene Boy Tanuan’s 12-year old record of 1:57, claimed he was elbowed by Guarin in the last 100m. Officials are set to review the race before making a decision in awarding the gold to the rightful winner. Johansen Aguilar broke his own record in the 100m backstroke while the boy’s 4x100m medley relay also set a new Palaro record to spice up NCR’s four gold medal-haul in secondary pool events held at the Leyte Sports Development Center. Aguilar eclipsed his 1:01.31 record set Wednesday with a new mark of 1:00.79 in the heats to become NCR’s first swimmer that qualified in the finals. He returned in the afternoon and combined forces with Sean Paul Tan, Gabriel Castelo and Gian Daniel Berino to break the four-year-old relay mark of 4:11.31 set by NCR with a 4:10.66 time. Johnmar Gonzales topped the 200m breaststroke with 2:33.50, while the girls 400 medley team of Dorothy Grace Hong, Kristian Allia Mari Cortado, Hannah Dato and Sabrina Ingrid Illustre won the gold (4:40.62). Other gold medal winners at the pool are Cotabato Region’s Tiara Beboney Tudio (girls 200m breaststroke, 2:49.75), Central Visayas’ Loren Dale Echavez (girls 100m freestyle, 1:02.49) and Bikol Region’s Wilfredo Sunglao Jr. (boys 100m freestyle, 1:02.49). NCR also won three gold medals, Southern Tagalog-CALABARZON took two events while Western Visayas won one in the elementary play. NCR also struck in gymnastics with Rizza Desiree Garcia improving her last year’s runner-up finish with a gold medal in the individual rhythmic event with 59.80 points. Teammates Jean Caluscusin and Rizza Corpuz took the silver and bronze medals with 53.75 and 52.95 points. Their 166.50 total also pushed NCR to first place in the team event. Ilocos Region (131.60) and Central Visayas (127.60) finished second and third. Cotabato Region added medals in arnis with Airene Apresto bagging two golds to spark Region XII’s three victories in four anyo arnis events disputed. Apresto had 90.1 points to win the single weapon and then took the double identical weapon with 92.0 points. Kristel Kaye Espuertas, Maribal Gocotano and Rachel Joy Aligonero top the double identical weapon with 90.8 points. Cordillera Autonomous Region showed the way in taekwondo’s poomse event. CAR emerged as top team in poomsae (form) event in taekwondo by sweeping the six events in secondary play. Jerodan Dominguez ruled Group A while Ferdinand Delizo topped Group B. The two them combined with Ronnel Arvin Yadao to rule the team event. Not to be outdone were their girls’ team as Patricia Mae Sembrano and Apriel Mae Solimen ruled individual play and then joined hands with Lyra April Tindoc for the team title. – GMANews.TV