Sprint queen Rosario adds Palaro jewel to haul

PROSPERIDAD, Agusan del Sur , Philippines —  UAAP MVP Franceine Jhobie Rosario lived up to her billing amidst the challenges from a heavy downpour as the National Capital Region zoomed to the driver’s seat of the 66th Palarong Pambansa medal race after four days of competition here.

Inheriting the mantle from former triple sprint champion Jeralyn Rodriguez and competing under wet conditions, the Santo Tomas stalwart showed her top form and sizzled with a winning 12.01 seconds in the centerpiece secondary girls’ 100m dash.

This was a smashing follow-up to 200-meter event she dominated the other day in 24.79, putting Rosario in contention for the honors as the most bemedaled trackster at the Datu Lipus Makapandong Gov. D.O Sports Complex.

The sprint queen can add to her collection by taking care of business in the pole vault and relay events.

With her Palaro triumph in century dash, Rosario has  now won all the 100m events in the country’s premier multi-sport meets after previously reigning supreme in the Batang Pinoy and UAAP, where she was named as Season 88 athletics MVP behind a seven-gold haul including new records in 100m, 200m and pole vault.

“Mas gusto po namin ‘yung mainit kaysa sa ganitong weather na maulan pero sobrang saya po kasi nakapag-gold sa first time ko sa 100m dash. Kahit ganito po ‘yung panahon, nakuha pa rin,” said the Grade 12 UST student, who first started making noise in Tueguegarao, Cagayan before being recruited in Manila in 2024.

Her teammate Ma. Lhynette Libranda (12.16) netted the silver while Dale Jayne Tagalog of Northern Mindanao (12.54) took the bronze.

If Rosario would have preferred running under the sweltering heat, MIMAROPA’s Marc Eddie Marcos, however, enjoyed every drop of rain in becoming the sprint king with a 10.98 finish in the secondary boys’ 100m after also ruling the 200m (21.86) in his Palaro debut.

“Mas maganda po ‘yung ulan kasi para sa akin po, blessings po ito ni Lord eh,” said Marcos, 17, of the Palawan National High School in Puerto Princesa, after years of failing to get past the Region IV-B qualifiers.

Marcos used to run barefoot along the shores of Palawan, with the clear waters of the vast Pacific Ocean.