By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
VIGAN CITY – Records tumbled on the second day of the 2018 Palarong Pambansa even as Princess Sheryl Valdez sparked SOCCKSKSARGEN’s five-gold romp in arnis here.
CALABARZON’S Eliza Cuyom qualified in the secondary girls’ 100-meter hurdles final in record-breaking fashion, clocking a handtime of 14.73 seconds to erase the 18-year-old national junior record of 15.00sec set by NCR’s Julie Rose Forbes.
Forbes registered the previous mark during the 2000 Philippine Open.
Cuyom, a 17-year-old Grade 11 student at the Dasmariñas East Integrated High School, will race for the gold medal tomorrow while also competing for the 100m preliminaries today at the President Elpidio Quirino Stadium.
Cuyom also reset the 22-year-old Palaro record of 14.90sec posted by Michelle Patasha in 1996.
“Pinaghandaan talaga namin ito kasi nag-bronze lang siya last year. Hopefully maka-gold siya ngayon,” said Cuyom’s coach Kennedy Querijero, referring to Cuyom’s 15.68sec performance at last year’s edition in Antique.
NCR’s Kasandra Hazel Alcantara eclipsed the 26-year-old Palaro record in secondary girls’ shotput by heaving 11.88 meters on her fifth attempt, breaking the 11.20m mark set by NCR bet Marites Barrios in 1992.
Alcantara, a Grade 12 student from University of the East-Manila, actually reset the record on her second try with 11.70m and went on to dominate the field on her third throw with 11.67m. She also posted 11.85m on her final attempt at the University of Northern Philippines athletics field.
It was a sweet feeling for Alcantara, who is in her last Palaro appearance before plunging into the collegiate scene next year.
Western Visayas’ Jamela De Asis also reset the old mark but settled for silver with 11.29m, while Bicol’s Mary Jean Maloloy-on came in third with 10.61m.
Francis San Gabriel of host Ilocos, meanwhile, stunned NCR’s Bryan Oxales by resetting the latter’s 2017 Palaro mark of 10:11.30 in the 2000m walk with a time of 9:33.01 at the President Elpidio Quirino Stadium.
At the San Vicente Municipal gym, Valdez anchored SOCCSKSARGEN’s charge by reaping four of the region’s five-gold haul in arnis.
Valdez, a 12-year-old native of Tacurong, Sultan Kudarat, dominated the elementary girls individual anyo double weapon, single weapon and sing espada y daga before teaming up with Maria Veronica Ilagan and Stephane Mones for the anyo team event single weapon gold.
The other gold medal came from Andrei Fritz Alcarioto, who ruled the elementary boys anyo individual single weapon.
