Jerry Vasquez, Xiandi Chua lead hot assault on Palaro marks

DAVAO CITY, Philippines — Records fell like dominoes in centerpiece athletics and medal-rich swimming with Central Luzon runner Jerry Vasquez and National Capital Region tanker Xiandi Chua leading the assault in yesterday’s rain-drenched Palarong Pambansa here.

Vasquez, a 10th grader from Tarlac City, clocked nine minutes and 35.20 seconds in claiming the secondary boys 3,000-meter steeplechase gold while shattering the 21-year-old mark of 9:41.70 set by Cagayan Valley’s Crisanto Canillo in Bacolod City.

It was a performance to remember for Vasquez as he improved from his silver-medal effort behind gold winner Edward Josh Buenavista last year in Vigan, Ilocos Sur.

Western Visayas’ Ritchie Estampador also eclipsed the old mark by clocking 9:73.23 in his silver-medal finish behind Vasquez  at the University of Mindanao track oval.

Meanwhile, Chua, 17, smashed two records including the 21-year-old secondary girls’ 200m individual medley mark of NCR’s Althea Lim. Chua set a new mark  of 2:23.86 at the UP Sports Complex Aquatics Center.

Chua, who snared five golds in the National Age Group Championships in Tagum, Davao del Norte last month, earlier shattered the 200m breaststroke record of NCR’s Thanya Angeline dela Cruz (2:46.36) by submitting 2:43.08.

Calabarzon’s Roz Ciaralienn Encarnacion (2:46.18) also surpassed the old mark in her silver-medal finish.

Among those beaten by Chua in 200m IM was emerging star Michaela Jasmine Mojdeh who wound up a distant second with a time of 2:30.11.

“I was just aiming to improve on my personal best,” said Chua.

Also joining the record-setting spree in the pool were Jordan Key Lobos of Calabarzon (2:26.77 in secondary boys’ 200m breaststroke), and NCR’s Philip Joaquin Santos (2:12.58 in secondary boys’ 200m IM).

Over at the track, Kent Bryan Celeste of Ilocos reset his own secondary boys high jump record of 1.99m, improving it to 2.02 while Calabarzon’s Gennah Malapit heaved a 46.41m in elementary girls’ javelin to flatten the 41.46m posted by Western Visayas’ Avegail Beliran last year.