By Jerome Lagunzad
ILAGAN CITY — Motherhood brought out the best from underrated Army runner Macrose Dichoso on an early Thursday sunshine as she pulled the rug from under her decorated national team rivals by ruling the women’s 10,000m run in the 2018 Ayala Philippine Athletics Championships at the Ilagan Sports Complex here.
Dichoso, 24, made her move in the third lap before she pulled away in the fifth, leaving her erstwhile favored counterparts eating the dust while cruising home to the finish in 39 minutes and 41 seconds for the immediate upset victory in the five-day trackfest presented by the City of Ilagan.
“I’m dedicating this victory to my family, especially to my son Angel Bird, and to the whole Philippine Army,” beamed the Private First Class from Sta. Rosa, Laguna. “I’m just continuing my recovery after four years (of layoff). I feel that I am stronger and more competitive now because of my son. I really need to persevere for him.”
Veteran Jho-An Banayag Villarma, the 2009 Laos SEA Games marathon champion, failed to keep up with Dichoso’s fast pace and settled for a bridesmaid finish in 40 minutes and 30.87 seconds. Unknown Lany Adaoag of Team Titus completed the podium finishers as she checked in at 42 minutes and 13.86 seconds in the event sponsored by Ayala Corporation, Milo and the Philippine Sports Commission.
Meanwhile, reigning national record holder and former Asian marathon championships silver medalist Christabel Martes suffered an apparent burnout and did not even finish the event, a big letdown from her strong showing in the recent Philippine National Games in Cebu City where she clinched the coveted gold medal.
Another Army runner scored another stunner as Richard Salaño stole the thunder from two-time SEAG gold medal winner and Airforce star Christopher Ulboc in the men’s 3000m steeplechase.
Salaño posted an impressive clocking of nine hours and 23.21 seconds to claim the gold medal and upstage Ulboc, a former national team mainstay who came in at second, some 16 ticks late. La Salle’s Jomar Angus finished third overall in nine minutes and 57.91 seconds.
Meanwhile, University of Baguio’s Eduard John Buenavista did the best impersonation of his father, Olympian marathoner Eduardo, as he took the boys’ 3000m steeplechase title by the slimmest of margins.
Buenavista, 16, nipped Run Rio-University of the Philippines’ Germar Marcelo in a thrilling finish, with the former clocking at nine minutes and 52.07 seconds, some 86-tenths of a second ahead of the latter.
Over at the field, national team hopeful John Albert Mantua kept his stranglehold of the men’s shotput title by overcoming a pair of Malaysian rivals and a slew of local counterparts.
Mantua, 25, a two-time NCAA MVP from Jose Rizal University, recorded his winning mark of 15.85 meters on his third and final attempt, doing enough to hold off Malaysian bets Brynoth Alarick Larry (14.32) and Zulkifi Bin Saldin (14.09) while capturing his fourth overall national title on a new personal record.
“I really prepared hard for this. Since winning the gold last year, I just continue to train since I really want to make it to the national team,” said the General Santos City native, fresh from winning the bronze medal in the Taiwan Open over the weekend.
