Host Region VII (Central Visayas) added 19 more gold medals yesterday to erect a 21-gold lead over its closest pursuer to virtually retain the overall crown of the 2012 Private Schools Athletic Association (PRISAA) National Collegiate Games held in various venues in Cebu City.
With just two days left in the national, multi-sport meet among the country’s collegiate athletes, Central Visayas remained on top with 49 gold medals, 19 silvers and 26 bronzes as it braces to defend the overall title it won last year in Zamboanga.
First day leader Region IV-A (Calabarzon) remains in second place with a 28-22-28 harvest but saw its six gold medal lead last Tuesday dwindle down to just two against the charging Region VI (Western Visayas) who now totes a 26-24-25 tally.
Regions XI and I are in fourth and fifth spots with 6-27-27 and 5-6-9 records, respectively.
Southwestern University (SWU) and Cebu’s running queen, Mary Joy Tabal won her second gold medal after topping the women’s 3,000-meter run with the time of 10 minutes and 46 seconds. Tabal also ruled the 5,000m run last Tuesday and guns for her third gold medal today in the 10-kilometer race.
“I hope I will win the 10,000m. I am not aiming to break my record, I will just do my best to win my last race,” said Tabal who had just recovered from a severe leg injury.
ECHAVEZ SHINES
Meanwhile, swimming superstar Loren Dale Echavez of University of San Carlos (USC) capped her campaign with six gold medals.
Echavez won five gold medals in the first two days of swimming, then added the gold in the 400m freestyle yesterday in 4 mins., 54.66 seconds. She concluded her campaign by winning a bronze in the 800m freestyle relay along with younger sister Ara Denise, Rozelle Diaz, Lorens Goyenechea and Abegail Sakib.
Region VII netters and badminton players also ruled their events winning a combined 16 gold medals.
The region’s tennis team composed of the multi-titled Siso siblings, Bernardine, Sally Mae and Sallydine along with Kennex Abadia, Israel Abarquez, Kezia Jabines and Christine Bellita dominated the two day event at the Baseline tennis courts by winning eight gold medals.
The badminton team of Clint Armamento, John Roy Densing, Jeffrey Lipaopao, Jie Charles Plaza, Kimberly Celia Marie Li, Janel Dihiansan, Irish Mae Ares and Jessa Mae Lagat also bagged eight golds at the Metro Sports badminton courts in Lahug.
Region XII and Region XI finished second in the men’s and women’s badminton while Region III and Region VI came in third.
Also, the region’s women’s table tennis team composed of Elonna Dane Tormis, Jennifer Jacalan, Jerny Kaye Pepito, Candy Babalcon and Hana Jane Arroyo topped the event and added four gold medals but the men’s squad failed to clinch a medal.
In athletics, Ernesto Ybanez claimed his third gold medal of the games when he topped the men’s triple jump while Chen May Dalcuta ruled the women’s competition in 10.74 meters.
Region VII now has 11 gold medals in athletics and 20 in swimming.
Region IV-A on the other hand, won only one gold in athletics but topped the swimming competition with 27 first place finishes.
Region VI won 15 gold medals in athletics, 10 golds in swimming and one gold in taekwondo.
BOXING
In boxing, SWU’s Ian Refuela and University of the Visayas’s (UV) Dan Lou Codilla will fight for golds today afte beating their semifinal rivals from Region XI and Region XII, respectively.
Yuri Cauba is also poised to give Region VII a gold in chess held at the Elizabeth Mall activity center by scoring 4.5 points after five rounds of competition while teammate Michael Pagaran is in second place with 4.0 points. Joseph Fernandez and Johnny Carzano also of Region VII both have 3.5 points.
However, the region’s women chessers are struggling to make it to the top five.