By WAYLON GALVEZ
SAN JOSE, ANTIQUE – Another record fell on the second day of athletics after javelin thrower Sylvian Faith Abunda of Bukidnon flung the spear to 42.85 meters for the gold in the 60th Palarong Pambansa at the Binirayan Sports Complex here.
Abunda’s achievement nipped the old mark of 42.34 meters set by her teammate Efrelyn Democer, who did it last year’s in Legaspi City, Albay.
The 10th grader from Lantapan National High School established the new record on her fourth try in secondary girls javelin at the Evelio B. Javier Jr. track and field oval.
Ann Katherine Quitoy of Negros took the silver with 40.64m and Democer placed third with 40.43m.
“I trained with Efrelyn before the Palarong Pambansa. She’s the record-holder, and I learned a lot from her,” said Abunda, 16, the oldest of three siblings and daughter of an engineer.
She will aim for a second gold in the discus event today.
Western Visayas flexed its might on the track with long jumper Elvy Villagoniza and high jump specialist Mary Rose Billones dominating their events in the high school level.
National Capital Region plucked a pair of gold medals courtesy of Kassandra Alcantara, who ruled the secondary girls shotput, and Bryan Oxales, who won in the secondary boys’ 2000m walk.
King Johnzeus Alabastro of Calabarzon struck gold in elementary boys javelin throw and Marvin Ramos of Central Luzon topped the primary boys long jump during the weeklong event organized by the Department of Education (DepEd) and supported by the Philippine Sports Commission.
James Lozanes of Estancia, Iloilo smashed the secondary boys javelin record on Monday after a 59.46m throw to erase the mark of Bryan Pacheco from Central Luzon (57.81m) in the 2013 Games held in Dumaguete City.
Over at the Patnongon municipal covered court, Janella Dihnezze Rendon of Bicol grabbed two golds in arnis after winning the Anyo individual single and double weapon events for elementary girls.
Other winners in the single weapon were John Clark Segutier of Western Visayas and Cordillera’s Eza Rai Yalong in the secondary level and grade schooler Jeko Jan Heynes from Socsargen.
NCR’s Hannah Lalaine Perez (secondary girls) and Lucia Gabriel Gutierrez (elementary girls) topped their all-around events in artistic gymnastics.
