Niños complete PRISAA sweep

TAGBILARAN CITY, Philippines -  – The Cebu City Niños ended their campaign in the 2012 Private Schools Athletic Association (PRISAA) Regional Meet with a big bang as they swept the gold medals in athletics event held at the Carlos P. Garcia Sports Complex here yesteday.

Bemedalled long-distance runner Mary Joy Tabal of Southwestern University (SWU) delivered Cebu City's last gold after topping the women's 5K run with the time of 19 minutes and 58.06 seconds. The men's title went to Reprinel Banzon of the University of Cebu (UC) with a 17:17.54 clocking.

The other gold medallists were Ernesto Ybañez and Irin Baluran of UC in triple jump, Sheena Gacayan and SWU's Rolan Batiancial in 800m run, Jade Recto in shot put, Geovanni Necessario in javelin throw, Ian Bernido and Joeyrey Lee in 3,000m run, Princess Baruc in discus throw, Lorna Olarita of the University of Southern Philippines Foundation (USPF) in 200m run, Kennick Alivio and Khenly Parcon.

In volleyball, the CESAFI grandslam champion SWU Lady Cobras took the women’s title after thrashing Bohol Institute of Technology (BIT), 25-14, 25-7, 28-26 and 25-10, 25-12, 25-13, while the University of San Carlos (USC) Spiking Warriors secured the men’s crown after taming the University of Bohol, 25-15, 17-25, 25-12, 25-18 and 25-17, 25-15, 25-21.

In basketball, TCC reigned supreme after overpowering Bohol, 95-87, and Dumaguete City, 98-83, while the University of the Visayas-manned sepak takraw also stole the show after crushing the Philippine Maritime Institute (PMI), 21-12, 21-16.

TCC also dominated the badminton event courtesy of USJ-R's Janel Dahiansan, Celia Li, Irish Mae Ares and Jessa Mae Lagut and USC's Peter Paul Tan, Jeffrey Lepaopao, Charles Plaza and John Roy Densing.

     In karatedo, Ann Marie Dela Riarte hauled golds in women’s individual and synchronized kata along with Mary France Dajunan and Lorraine May Parrotina. They also won gold in team kumite along with Lyrie Narboada and Julie Ann Japus.

In the men’s bracket, Samuel Orillo Jr. topped the individual kata, syn-chronized kata as well as Bryan Adam Enopina and Rommel Montes, Jr. They also had a golden finish in team kumite along with John Rioland Mesia, Christian Mejalo, John Rey Abasolo, Amleto Gello and Micheal Morales.

Meanwhile, PRISAA National President Fr. Vicente L. Uy, SVD challenged all the National PRISAA-bound Central Visayas athletes to aim high in order to defend their national title.

“Defend our title. This is our battlecry now. Starting tomorrow, you should start training. We should not relax because our goal is to defend our title as the national champions. Everybody should strive hard and give their best because every medal counts,” Fr. Uy told the athletes during the closing ceremonies yesterday at the University of Bohol gym.

“It takes a lot of training and sacrifices to win games. For the athletes, there’s no room for failure. An athlete is someone who competes in order to win the prize. You should have the competitive spirit in each one of you,” he added.

The National PRISAA will take place on April 22-28 here in the Queen City of the South. (FREEMAN)