UC virtually collars 16th secondary title
The University of Cebu (UC) Webmasters look headed to their 16th straight secondary crown as they started pulling away yesterday in the second day of the 16th Milo Little Olympics-Visayas Regional Finals at the Cebu City Sports Center.
The powerhouse Webmasters chalked up 140 points, majority from their talented athletics and swimming squads. UC’s athletics squad contributed 60 points while its tankers put up 50.
UC’s closest pursuer, the Abellana National School (ANS), is far second with 46.5 points as of press time. The University of San Carlos (USC) are at third with 39 points.
With track and field, swimming, football, sepak takraw, sipa and table tennis done, catching up with the Webmasters will be an impossible task for the other teams.
Competition continues this weekend with badminton, chess, scrabble, taekwondo, tennis and volleyball events left.
While the secondary division is a virtual done deal, the elementary side is still an open race.
2009 elementary champion Sacred Heart School-ateneo de Cebu (SHS-AdC) took the lead after two days with 56.5 points.
Cebu Institute of Technology-University (CIT-U) holds on to second place with 50 points while the University of Bohol (UB) has 45. Defending champion USC-BED is far at seventh place with 20 points.
According to Priscillano Capangpangan, SHS-AdC’s athletic coach, the school’s sporting facilities in its new campus in Canduman, Mandaue City has helped the team improve its performance this year.
SHS-AdC got 30 points from track and field, 10 from swimming and 6.5 points from table tennis.
CIT-U got its wins in the track and field event while UB banked on its swimming teams.
Meanwhile, aside from swimming and athletics, UC also got points from its table tennis team.
But it was its swimming squad that made the difference this year as its new recruits showed impressive performances on the pool.
UC finished off strong in the last day of the swimming competition by winning four more gold medals courtesy of Trina Cañeda (100-meter backstroke), Danielle Mae Ballesteros (100m breaststroke) and the boys and girls 4x100m medley relay teams.
“The (UC) administration is very supportive to the athletes that’s why our athletes are very motivated to train and compete,” said UC’s athletic coach Eldie Banzon.
Four more gold medals were also added in the last day of the track and field event. Roy Villahermosa added two more gold medals to seal of his campaign with five gold medals (110 hurdles, 400m hurdles, 400m run, 4x100m relay and 4x400m relay).
NEW FOOTBALL CHAMPS
ANS, on the other hand, banked on athletics to stay at second place in the secondary standings. It also topped the sepak takraw worth 15 points, and got 6.5 points from table tennis.
However, the team suffered a big blow in football after Don Bosco Technological Center (DBTC) dethroned ANS’ secondary football team via a 3-1 decision in the finals late last night.
Scoring goals for DBTC were Christian Agot (6th), Jolo Mercado (44th) and Kevin Calvo (51st). Scoring ANS’ lone goal was John Gomora (11th).
It was sweet victory for DBTC, whose elementary squad also won the football title.
“We are in ecstacy,” DBTC coach Dave Gerali. “We are very glad right now because it’s going to be our first time to compete in the national finals.”
Milo Little Olympics head organizer Team Visayas head Ricky Ballesteros is so far impressed with the way things are going in this year’s competition.
“As you can see, most of the beginners are winning the gold medals. So we are really glad because the athletes have high standards,” he said. “I just hope that this will continue.”
