Sports: Ilongga Runner Breaks Palaro Record in 3,000M

While some elementary athletes falter when they join the secondary levels, but not with the petite barefooted daughter of a vendor in Lambunao, Iloilo who broke the existing Palarong Pambansa record in the secondary girl’s 3,000 meters in the ongoing 2012 Western Visayas Regional Athletic Association (WVRAA) Meet held at Panaad Park and Sports Stadium oval in Bacolod City.

WVRAA SOFTBALL. A Capiz batter missed the ball during their match against the Antique team at Paglaum Sports Complex.* (H. James G. Toga/NDB)

Still won’t wear whatever new spike shoes given to her, the barefooted 4 feet and eleven inches, Joneza Mae Sustituedo, now a 13-year old first year high school student of Sun Yat Sen High School in Iloilo City booked the new Palarong Pambansa record in the event clocking 10 minutes, 35.31 seconds. She erased the Palaro record of 10:40.68 set by Mary Jane Campos of Central Visayas in the 2000 Centennial Palaro held here in the same venue.

BATTLE FOR POSSESSION. Players from the provinces of Aklan and Antique battle for ball possession during their basketball (secondary) match at Paglaum Sports Complex yesterday.* (H. James G. Toga/NDB)

Guimaras Joida Gagnao settled for silver (10:50.06), while Negros Jelyn Duran (11:43.37) took the bronze medal.

She also improved 2011 Palarong Pambamsa record of 10:45.78 set by Mae Barit of Southern Mindanao (Region Xl) when she won the secondary girls’ event in Dapitan City.

A cinch for another record breaking feat, Sustituedo will again back to the oval Thursday in the secondary girls’ 1,500. The event she ruled in a record feat in last year Palaro.

As a 12-year-old graduating elementary pupil of Don Eugenio Ladrido Elementary School in Lambunao last year, she broke loose at the opening gun to register a new record of 4 minutes 56.93 seconds in elementary girls’ 1,500 meters to eclipse her own 2010 Palarong Pambansa record of 4: 57.69 established in Tarlac. Before that, she also ruled the event in the 2010 WVRAA in Makato, Aklan, in 4:57.68 seconds.

She was first discovered when she joined the district meet at age 10, and won her first event that led her to be part of the Western Visayas delegation to the Department of Education-run Palarong Pambansa. She broke the record in her first appearance.

Her coach, Ademar De la Cruz hones her to become a potential athlete and her luck continues to shine when she was now in the secondary level as a neophyte, the feat only Maika De Oro did when she also starting breaking discuss throw records from elementary to secondary levels consistently until she graduated from high school.

Iloilo continue winning in other athletic events with Lorenzo Capajo, an orphan from Dingle, Iloilo make it two in a row by winning the secondary boys triple jump (13.75 meters) yesterday after ruling the 110 hurdles (15.43 seconds) Tuesday.

Iloilo’s Dexter Gallos, a 17 year old graduating student of Had. Conchita National High School in San Dionisio, Iloilo, ruled the secondary boys 5,000 meters in 16:32.83 seconds beating Negros Jun Montalbo (16:38.44) for the gold. Gallos is set to compete in the tday.

Other Iloilo winners are; Ariel Dereza ( 19.60 seconds ) in elementary boys 110 hurdles; Pamela Marquellero ( 16.69 seconds ) in elementary girls 110 hurdles; Julius Carl Berona (51.23) in the secondary boys 400 meters; Leonard De la Cruz (23.84 meters) in elementary boys’ discuss throw; Nilcer Navarro (56.79 seconds) in secondary boys’ 400 hurdles; Ezel Divinagracia (1:10.20) in elementary boys 400 hurdles; and Berna Luz Talaron (13.09 seconds) in elementary girls 100 meters.

Bacolod Tay Tung High School Mary Anthony Diesto made two after dominated the secondary girls’ triple jump in 11.09 meters. She earlier won the secondary girls long jump (5.13 meters) and settled for silver (12.93 seconds) behind teammate Erma Gamao (12.66 seconds) for the gold in secondary girls’ 100 meters.

Sheinne Sanchez also made it two after winning the elementary girls’ discuss in 29.60 meters. She won the elementary girls’ shot put Tuesday in 10.12 meters.

Yesterday’s other winners for Negros were; Cesar Fernandez (11.88) in elementary boys triple jump; Elesio Cortez, Jr., (1:06.92) in elementary boys;’ 400 hurdles; Ceasar Ian Obires (12.30) in elementary boys’ 100 meters; Reymark De la Cruz (11.16) in secondary boys; 100 meters.

Negros has nine gold medals; Iloilo eight and Capiz one.

Twenty gold medals are at stake in today’s athletics events including the special games.*