WV athletes win gold, shatter Palaro records

THREE student-athletes from Western Visayas Regional Athletic Association (WVRAA) shattered records in the third day of the 2019 Palarong Pambansa in Davao City on May 1.

In swimming, Negros Occidental aquanaut Alexi Cabayaran clocked 2 minutes and 15.76 seconds to grab the gold medal in elementary girls’ 200-meter freestyle. The native of Silay also broke the five-year-old record of National Capital Region tanker Imee Saavedra (2 minutes and 16.72 seconds).

Trexie dela Torre also shattered the Palaro record in secondary girls’ long jump after jumping 5.77 meters. She broke the 5.66-m record of Southern Mindanao jumper Maricel Sibug in the 2002 edition of the games. 

Jamela de Asis of Negros also posted a new record in secondary girls’ shot put after throwing 12.30 m to erase the 11.88-m record of NCR’s Kassandra Alcantara in 2018.

Alfrence Braza of Iloilo captured a gold medal in secondary boys’ 5,000-meter dash. The pride of Mandurriao National High School (MNHS) outmuscled other sprinters in the country, including teammate Ritchie Estampador who settled for the bronze medal.

True to her promise, Ilongga Alexi Mae Caimoso Brooks was formidable in this year’s Palaro. The sporty beauty queen of Brgy. Buga, Leon topped the secondary girls’ 100-meter hurdles even as she hopes to garner more gold medals in athletics.

Bernalyn Bejoy of Negros Occidental also delivered a gold medal for the Blue Barons after ruling the secondary girls’ 400-meter hurdles.

Vince Jason Buhayan of Iloilo ruled the secondary boys’ 100-meter dash while Kate Martinez clinched silver in discus throw. Archie Sarabia also contributed silver in discus throw while Mekyla Taborite received a bronze in elementary girls’ discus throw.

Buhayan also bagged a gold medal in secondary boys’ 100-m dash.