Julia Jewels Poblete emerged as the most successful campaigner in the Visayas leg of the FINIS National Long Course Championship by winning seven golds, sparking Iloilo Megakraken Swim Team to overall team title at the Iloilo Sports Complex Swimming pool in La Paz, Iloilo City.
The eight-year- old Poblete reigned supreme in girls 7-8 class with after topping the 200m Individual Medley (4:01.73), 100m butterfly (2:01.81), 50m backstroke (50.96), 50m fly (55.36), 100m back (1:50.36), 50m breaststroke (58.57), and 100m freestyle (1:37.34) – enough to help her team claim the overall team title after tallying 1,432.5 points,
“We’re very proud not just to our medalists but to all swimmers and their coaches for their enormous effort just to be able to join the competition. I wanted to say kudos, particularly to the three-man Binirayan Tadpoles Swim Club (Princess Maria Galindo, Johnny Quimpang, and coach Patricia Anne Galindo),” said FINIS Managing Director Vince Garcia.
Garcia said he is hoping to get the same excitement from the young swimmers in South when the event shifts to Mindanao on Nov. 12-13 at the Joaquin F. Enriquez Memorial Sports Complex Swimming Pool in Zamboanga City.
The series culminate with the Luzon Leg on Nov. 26-27 at the New Clark City Aquatic Center in Capas, Tarlac.
Top swimmers after the series will clash in a swim-off for the coveted National Championship on December 17-18 also in Clark.
The JBLFMU Dolphin Swim Team finished second (837.5 points) followed by Iloilo Tiger Shark Swim Team (612 4), Iloilo Sea Warriors Swim Club (534), Aklan Swimming Club (367 6), Capiz Eaglerays Swimming Club (341), Capiz Turbo Sharks Swim Club (333 8), Sta FE Crocs (150), Buddy Swim Team (135) and Pirates Swim Club (110).
JM Matthew Bata shared the limelight as he claimed two gold medals for Megakraken, topping the boys 11-12 class 50m freestyle (31.32) and 50m back (36.84), while his older sister Jilian Celestine Bata won in the girls 13-14 class 60m bac (36.59).
