By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
VIGAN CITY – Camarines Sur bet Lheslie De Lima made her debut in the secondary division more memorable as she clinched the event’s first gold medal even as Cagayan Valley made its presence felt by snaring two gold medals in athletics at the start of the 2018 Palarong Pambansa in separate venues here.
De Lima clocked 10 minutes and 6.54 seconds in the girls’ 3000 meters to give Bicol Region its first mint, beating Camila Tubiano of Northern Mindanao (10:07.07) and Grace Tejones of Western Visayas (10:55.99) at the President Elpidio Quirino stadium.
The 13-year-old De Lima, who won two silver medals in the elementary division of girls’ 1500m and 800m last year in Antique, actually failed to hear the final bell that signaled the final lap, leaving her and Tubiano running an extra 400 meters.
She competed barefoot, saying she was more comfortable with it.
De Lima is also entered in 1500m late in the day and in the 800m final on Thursday.
Algin Gomez and Rashied Faith Burdeos, meanwhile, set the tone early for Cagayan Valley after dominating their respective events at different venues.
Gomez, a 17-year-old Aparri native, shared the spotlight with Burdeos by topping the secondary boys’ long jump with 6.96 meters in his fourth attempt.
The Grade 11 student of the Aparri East National High School bettered his bronze-medal feat in the same event last year.
“Nag-adjust ako dun sa speed at sa approach ko kumpara nung last year,” said Gomez.
James Oliver Meim of MIMAROPA came in second with 6.99m while Lowell Batobalani of SOCCSKSARGEN settled for bronze with 6.76m.
Burdeos, for her part, saved her best for last at the University of Northern Philippines athletics ground, throwing 10.13m on her sixth and final attempt to capture the elementary girls’ shotput ahead of Western Visayas bets Rhealyn De Costa (10.11m) and Hanna Apdo (9.79m).
Christian Ampong, meanwhile, gave NCR its first gold medal by winning the secondary boys’ javelin throw, heaving 58.51m and outclassing MIMAROPA’s John Paul Sarmiento (53.87m) and SOCCKSKSARGEN’s Jhon Dave Tumulak (53.87m).
