Soguilon surges for fifth swimming gold in Batang Pinoy

MANILA, Philippines – Stung by her loss the other day, swimmer Kyla Soguilon came surging back on Monday to bag three golds and emerged as the most bemedaled athlete in the Batang Pinoy Games Visayas championships at the Lorenzo G. Teves Aqua Center in Dumaguete.

 

Soguilon handily ruled the girls 13-15-year-old 100-meter backstroke in one minute and 11.9 seconds then added the 50-meter butterfly mint in a runaway time of 31.57 seconds in the sportsfest organized and supported by the Philippine Sports Commission.

 

Showing she still had plenty spare, the outstanding swimmer of the girls elementary division of the Palarong Pambansa held last April in San Jose, Antique swam a strong opening backstroke leg in lifting the Aklan squad to an easy victory in the 4x50-meter individual relay race in 2:25.75.

 

At the end of the day, Soguilon had a proud output of five golds and one silver, which came  last Sunday in placing second to Bacolod’s Mary Louise in the girls 200-meter backstroke, of the meet also supported by Dumaguete city government led by Mayor Felipe Mariano “Ipe” Remollo.

 

“Tsamba lang, especially in the relay since she was already tired” said Kokoy Soguilon, the Aklan provincial assessor, of her prolific daughter’s feats. “She still has one more event left in the 4x50-meter freestyle relay tomorrow.”

 

Hoping to catch up with Soquilon’s  medal haul were Tagbilaran’s Gabriel Manigque and Ormoc’s Chloe Sophia Laurente, who kept their unbeaten run by  raising their  golds to four each in ruling their respective events.

 

Standing a strapping six feet, Manigque, 15, swept both the 13-15 400-meter freestyle (4:36.66) and 100-meter backstroke races (1:07.88) in style after earlier triumphs in the 50-meter and 200-meter backstroke event.

 

“Since I joined the UE varsity high school training under coach Ahli Frigillana last June, I feel am starting to realize my potential,” said Manigque, a Grade 8 highschooler at UE, who did not even win a single medal in the last Palaro.   

 

He will be gunning for a perfect five-for-five performance when he sees action in the 200-meter butterfly race tomorrow.

 

Not to be outdone, Laurente likewise took her tally to four golds in securing the girls 12-and-under 50-meter butterfly title in 33.60 seconds following wins in the 200-meter individual medley, 50-meter backstroke and 100-meter butterfly events.

 

The New Ormoc City National High School student will be gunning for her fifth and final individual gold in the 200-meter butterfly event in the last day of the four-day swimming competition on Tuesday.

 

Garnering his second and third golds in as many events was Aklan’s  Jennuel Booh de Leon, who topped the boys 12-under 400-meter freestyle (5:13.75) and 50-meter butterfly (33.60) races, and will be eyeing No. 4 and No. 5 in the 200-meter  freestyle and 200-meter butterfly also on Tuesday.

 

After 44 events, Aklan continued to show the way in the swimming overall  medal race with 13 gold, nine silver and four bronze medals while Ormoc was a distant second (6-4-4), with Bohol (5-3-3) and host Dumaguete (5-1-3) engaged in a close duel for third place.

 

Over at the Gov. Mariano Perdices Stadium, Bacolod, Cebu City and Leyte Province each picked up a gold apiece.

 

Cebu City’s Rick Angelo Sotto took home the boys triple jump title (13.57 meters), Leyte Province’s Jayvee Alvarez  topped the boys 2,000-meter run (6:23.3) and Bacolod girl Ara Rahbea Delotavo won the 100-meter hurdles race in  a photo finish with Cebu City’s Krystelle Leyson  after both clocked identical times of 17.2 seconds.

 

In overnight athletic results, Bago City took a pair of golds with Ryle Simon Biadora topping the boys 110-meter hurdles race (16.346) and Shenny Enero in the girls high jump (1.41 meters), while Christian Ote Bagge of Numancia, Aklan bagged the gold in the boys javelin throw (49.66)