By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
PUERTO PRINCESA, Palawan – Pi Durden Wangkay and Samantha Martinez crowned themselves sprint prince and princess in the 2024 Batang Pinoy Championships after ruling the centerpiece 100 meters for 16-years-old at the RVM Sports Complex here.
Wangkay, a 15-year-old standout from the City of Biñan, clocked 10.88 seconds to edge out City of Calamba’s Joel Platon (11.38sec) and South Cotabato’s Philip James Gestosani (11.43sec) to surprise the field — even himself.
“Sobrang sarap sa feeling kasi 100 meters isn’t my best suit sa lahat ng events ko. So far, I think ito yung most shocking moment ko sa mga track events ko,” said the De La Salle Zobel student, who also ruled the 200m and 400m the previous days.
Wangkay’s performance, who shattered his personal-best 11.09sec set at the Philippine U18 Championships in Pasig just last May, was actually faster than the U18 meet record of 11.30sec set by Alfredo Pineda last year.
It was also faster than the 11.08sec of Quezon City’s Elreb Taduran, who won the gold in the U18 division this year.
Like Wangkay, Martinez shared the limelight by timing 12.60sec to win the U16 distaff side ahead of Sorsogon’s Rose Jane Barcelona (12.70sec) and City of Cebu’s Ken Amber Tutor (13.01sec).
The Davao Del Norte standout’s mark was also faster than the golden effort of Capiz’s Angel Villagracia in the girls U18, who timed 12.74sec.
It was Martinez’s second gold medal after winning the 200m.
Meanwhile, Albert Jose Amaro II broke a third meet record in bagging his fourth gold medal in swimming
The 17-year-old Naga City bet timed 1 minute and 57.04sec to win the boys 16-17 200m freestyle while also erasing the one-year-old mark of 1:59.94 set by Paolo Miguel Labanon.
Amaro previously shattered the records in the 100m free and the 50m free.
Arvin Taguinota also grabbed his sixth gold medal after teaming up with Charles Canlas, Jefferson Sabularse and Marcelino Picardal III in the boys 12-13 4x50m medley relay (2:03.69).
The Pasig City bet also won in the 200m individual medley, 100m freestyle, 200m backstroke, 100m back, and 4x50m free relay.
In wrestling, Surigao del Sur collected four gold medals courtesy of Rose Jean Jamero (U15 FW 38kg), Shane Carillo (U15 FW 42kg), Quinnie Bongado (U17 FW 43kg), and Lyka Dalman (FW U17 57kg).
In junior aerobic gymnastics, Isabela’s Mark Joshua Saet reaped three gold medals in the junior division after topping the individual men, mixed pair with Janna Lazaro, and trio with Lzaro and Jan Mherz Castillo.
With still more sports being competed in the final day at press time, City of Pasig continued to dominate with 83 gold, 49 silver and 88 bronze medals.
Baguio City is a distant second with 63 gold, 53 silver and 58 bronze, followed by City of Quezon (45-43-45), City of Davao (35-35-28) and City of Cebu (28-32-27).
