CV hikes medal haul to 38 golds

Central Visayas continues to make headway in its grandslam quest in the ongoing National Collegiate Games of the Private Schools Athletic Association by padding its medal haul to 38 golds as of late yesterday in Lingayen, Pangasinan.

After amassing 23 gilts last Tuesday, Central Visayas added 15 more to stretch its lead over the other regions. Central Visayas coordinator Lyle Larida said that the number though is still unofficial as the official tally has yet to be released.

The swimming team contributed the most number of gold medals with 11, while taekwondo and athletics contributed two each.

Cebuana ace tanker Loren Dale Echavez led the gold medal haul with three after she made golden finishes in the 800-meter freestyle with a time of 10 minutes and 24.45 seconds and the 100m freestyle clocking 1:02.60.

Echavez then joined her sister Ara Denise, Abegail Sakib and Nina Egnacio in topping the women’s 4x50m freestyle relay for the team’s third first place finish yesterday.

The winning relay teams account for four gold medals, one for each athlete.

Meanwhile, the men’s team contributed the rest of the gold medals with Jesse Arriola Jr. clocking the best time of 18:59.99 in the 1,500m freestyle and Jopeth Guno topping the 50m backstroke with his time of 31.66.

Guno then teamed up with Edgar Allan Jarina, Jebb Cane and John Beltran to give Central Visayas four more golds by winning the men’s 4x50m freestyle relay in 1:48.46.

The taekwondo golds were contributed by John Paul Tomarse in the finweight division and Alexis Roque in the flyweight division.

The two gold medals in athletics were notched by Lorna Olarita in the 100-meter dash and 400m hurdles.