Micaela Jasmine Mojdeh class of her own in Luzon meet

ILAGAN CITY, Isabela, Philippines  —  The Luzon Leg of the 2019 Philippine National Youth Games-Batang Pinoy here saw a glimpse of the possible next big star in Philippine swimming.

Micaela Jasmine Mojdeh, 12, swept all her five events, dominating older rivals — 13 to 15 years old — in the most noteworthy performance at the Isabela Sports Complex pool here.

The seventh-grader from Immaculate Heart of Mary College capped her amazing effort by topping the 200-meter butterfly (at 25.74 seconds) to add to her golden collection after earlier triumphs in the 100m and 50m fly and 200m and 400m individual medley.

Mojdeh, who owns the national junior record in the 100m and 200m fly, performed up to expectations in this weeklong event for in and out-of-school youth athletes aged 15 years old and below.

She has been unstoppable as she even splashed to a spectacular six-gold medal performance and bagged the Most Outstanding Swimmer award in a recent meet in Japan.

Her exploits in the PNG Youth Games augured well for what could also be a smashing showing in the Palarong Pambansa next month in Davao City.

“I didn’t get to improve my time but it’s okay,” said Mojdeh, who will join a training camp back in Manila starting next week. “I will just do it in the Palarong Pambansa where I will be facing almost the same opponents I faced here.”

Also picking up her fifth mint was Aubrey Tom of Cainta, Rizal, who timed 29.46 to rule the 50m freestyle.

Tom’s other wins came in the 50m fly, 200m IM, 100m free and 50m backstroke.

Tom, 12, thus barged into the elite group of quintuple gold medal winners including Mojdeh and Parañaque’s Mark John Dula.

Other swim winners were Laguna’s John Cyprus Factor (boys’ 12-under 200m free), Dave Daryl Bandillo (boys’ 12-under 100m breast), Philip Miguel Mendoza (boys’ 13-15 200m free), Dasmariñas’ Renavive Subida (girls 12-under 200m free), Dagupan’s Janelle Alisa France Lin (girls’ 13-15 200m free) and Gabriel Angelo Jizmundo (boys’ 13-15 100m breast), Pasig City’s Mikyla Guzman (girls’ 12-under 100m breast), Puerto Princesa’s Mary Sophia Manantan (girls’ 13-15 100m breast) and San Jose, and Del Monte’s Meynard Geoff Marcelino (boys’ 12-under 200m fly).

Pangasinan’s Rufo Aidan Raguine and Zambales’ Janine Ledina snared their second gold, with the former striking in the boys’ triple jump (at 13.28m) and latter in the girls’ javelin (34.23m).