By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
BANTAY, Ilocos Sur — Kristian Yugo Cabana of Lucena City continued his assault, winning his third gold medal, a feat matched by Aubrey Tom of Rizal in Day 2 of swimming competitions Sunday, Dec. 18, in the 2022 Batang Pinoy National Championships at the Quirino Stadium pool here.
The 15-year-old Tom, competing for the last time in the multisport event, reigned supreme in the girls 13-15 100-meter freestyle with a time of 1 minute and 2.50 seconds.
She almost won her fourth gold in the 50m butterfly but came up short and settled for bronze in the 31.10 seconds.
Still, it was a fitting follow up for her golden performances the day before in the 400m individual medley (5:31.10) and 200m IM (2:35.80).
“There’s no pressure for me to win here. I just want to have fun,” said Tom, who was fresh from winning two gold medals in the UAAP representing University of the Philippines Integrated School.
A Palarong Pambansa standout and a five-gold-medal winner at the 2019 Batang Pinoy edition in Puerto Princesa, Palawan, Tom eyes to deliver another victory when she competes on Tuesday, Dec. 20, in her remaining event – the 50m free.
Cabana, who became the first gold winner in this edition Saturday after topping the boys 12-under 200m IM, showed poise by ruling the 100m fly in 1:05.40 in the morning.
He returned to the pool in the afternoon and dominated the 200m free in 2:15.00.
Meanwhile, La Union’s Kyla Louise Bulaga, Lucena City’s Julian De Kam, General Santos’ Evenezir Polancos Jr., Naga City’s Albert Amaro and Quezon City’s Richelle Callera scooped their second gold medals.
Bulaga ruled the girls 12-under 100m fly (1:12.70), De Kam won the boys 13-15 100m fly (1:02.10), Polancos Jr. prevailed in the boys 13-15 400m IM (4:58.10), Amaro emerged victorious in the boys 13-15 50m fly (27.20sec) and Callera triumphed in the girls 12-under 50m fly (31.30sec),
In cycling, Batangas City’s Emmanuel Arago, Caloocan City’s Maritanya Krog and Quezon City’s Jacqueline De Guzman outshone their rivals in their respective divisions in the criterium race that started and ended in front of the Provincial Capitol.
Arago clocked 36 minutes and 05.012 seconds to win the boys 13-under class, two minutes ahead of General Santos City’s Dashiel Carmona (38:05.131) and Pangasinan’s DJ Perez (38:05.214).
Despite being a first-timer, Arago controlled the race from start to finish, almost overlapping the closest peloton.
Krog, who came from a family of cyclists, surprised herself by topping the girls 13-under division in 37:43.519, while De Guzman stamped her class in the girls 14-15 with a time of 46:48.768.
Also taking the spotlight was Cebu City’s Chris Ferrer, who clocked 52:44.492 to win the boys 14-15 class.
In athletics, Sophia Dela Vega of San Jose City, Nueva Ecija leapt 4.77 meters to beat Masbate’s Jesalyn Materdan (4.52m) and Quezon City’s Angelica Balazon (4.37m) for the girls long jump gold at the Quirino Stadium.
At the Caoayan gym, 11-year-old Elaine Calunsag of Bayawan, Negros Oriental prevailed in the girls 26kg of the weightlifting competitions with a total lift of 55 kilos even as nine-year-old Hannah Cabalida of Cebu City topped the girls 30kg class
