Borlain,14, looms as next track star

MANILA, Philippines — Given the proper training and support, Ironkids and Batang Pinoy champ Tara Borlain could be the country’s next track star.

No less than former track queen Elma Muros-Posadas saw the potential in the 14-year-old find, who racked up three gold medals – 800m, 1500m and 3000m runs – in the just-concluded Luzon leg of Batang Pinoy.

“The girl has potential. She should be provided proper training and support,” said Muros-Posadas, a two-time Asian Games long jump bronze medalist and multiple Southeast Asian Games gold medal winner who is now the Phl Sports Commission’s talent scout.

What impressed Muros-Posadas most was Borlain’s 2:15.49-second clocking in the 800m.

That bested the Palarong Pambansa mark of 2:17.2 set by Aklan’s Angelica de Josef in 2013 in Dumaguete and shattered Batang Pinoy record of 2:19.56 by Leyte’s Feiza Lenton three years ago in Bacolod.

“Elma asked them to submit Tara Borlain’s profile so she can recommend her to PSC chairman Butch Ramirez so that she can be included in the national pool,” said national team coach and Elma’s husband Jojo Posadas.

Posadas said Borlain should be immediately isolated and get special training the way Muros-Posadas did during the Project Gintong Alay Days of Michael Keon.

“When Elma was 13 years old, she was spotted by Keon and immediately took her in and let her compete in the 1981 SEAG where she finished fourth,” said Posadas. “In the next SEAG in 1983, Elma won the gold.”

Truly, Borlain is closing in on the country’s junior records, which is 2:09.9 (hand time) and 2:10.08 (electronic time) both set by Serenata Saluan in the 1992 CHED Games and the UAAP in the same year in 2010.

But Saluan set the record as a 17-year-old, three years older than Borlain.

The current national mark is 2:06.75 by Fil-Am Jessica Lyn Barnard in the US last year.