Saavedra, Lacuna churn out golden haul

LINGAYEN, Philippines – National Capital Region’s Mary Angelic Saavedra bagged seven gold medals to emerge the most bemedalled swimmer, while Olympian Jessie Khing Lacuna swept his three events in the Philippine National Games in San Carlos City, Pangasinan yesterday.

Saavedra, 18-year-old stalwart from UST, ruled the 200m and 400m free, 100m and 200m back, 200m fly and 400 individual medley before dominating the 800m free. She also took silver medals in the 100m fly and 200m IM behind national team member Hanna Dato.

Dato added golds in the 50m back and 50m free.

Lacuna, priming up for  the Rio Olympic qualifier, stamped his class in the 100m fly, 200m IM and 50m free while teammate Axel Toni Steven Ngui captured the gold in the 50m back.

La Union’s Kristopher Witt shared the spotlight as he won the 400m free, 50m fly, 200m breaststroke and 400m IM while Kevin Troy Dagum of Koronadal City took the gold in the 100m and 200m back and 100m and 200m free.

Christian Ivan Salud of Maasin ruled the 50m breaststroke, Cebu City’s Michael Ichiro Kong copped the 200m fly title and Keith Glenjoy Tuya of Koronadal pocketed the gold in 100m breaststroke.

In the girls’ side, Oriental Mindoro’s Maurize Govanne Dabi took the gold in the 50m, 100m and 200m breaststroke while Shermalyn Jalmaani of Zamboanga City clinched the 100m free gold and Manila’s Ares Maceda dominated the 50m fly.

Cebu City’s boys and girls also won the gold medals in the 200m medley and 200m free relays.

Like Lacuna, Olympic hopeful Hidilyn Diaz led the national lifters in a major haul. Diaz,  a  two-time Olympian, won women’s 58kg with 92 in snatch and 120 in clean and jerk for a 212 total in weightlifting competitions held at Lingayen Town Plaza. Her teammate Nestor Colonia took the men’s 62kg (120-150 and 270 total).

The Nationals padded their lead in the standings with 49 golds, 20 silvers and eight bronzes, hitting pay dirt in taekwondo and weightlifting which brought Team Philippines 18 golds each.

Over at Lingayen Central School Gym, Jenar Torillos led the Phl team charge with gold in flyweight. Joining him were Joaquin Mendoza (bantamweight), Arven Alcantara (lightweight), Eddtone Bobb Lumasac (welterweight), Abram Lance Cuvinar (middleweight) and Keybert Lee Lumbania (heavyweight).

Karen Cells led the Phl jins in women’s category winning finweight gold.  Other winnners were Noelyn Rose campos (fly), Nicole Abegail Chan (bantam), Rhezie Arazon (feather), Nicole Ann McCann (light), Paolo Rose Salazar (welter) and Camille Ann Bonje (middle).

Team Philippines also picked up gold in Greco-Roman wrestling through Joanathan Maquilan in senior 66kg, Maxwell Francisco in senior 71kg and Jefferson Manatad in senior 75kg.

Pangasinan, on the strength of a 19-medal spree Wednesday, won three golds in junior level of Greco-Roman. The host province is now at sixth place.

Baguio City nosed out Cebu City at second in the medal tally with a 17-6-4 count, 13  of them in taekwondo. Cebu City is at third with 14-11-16, Manila fourth (9-0-4), Zamboanga City fifth (7-14-13), Pangasinan sixth (4-9-11), Hungduan, Ifugao seventh (4-6-4), Koronadal City eighth (4-4-2), University of the East ninth (4-2-3), and La Union 10th (4-2-0).