University of San Carlos tops Cesafi athletics competition

Runners representing different schools in Cebu compete in the 100-meter run of the Cesafi athletics competition at the Cebu City Sports Center. (CDN PHOTO/LITO TECSON)

The University of San Carlos (USC) Warriors dominated the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (Cesafi) track and field competition over the weekend at the Cebu City Sports Center (CCSC).

The Warriors ended their stint in the annual school-based competition with a whopping 29 gold medals, 10 they won yesterday from their collegiate and high school bets.

USC also had 21 silvers and 25 bronze medals. Track rivals University of Cebu (UC) Webmasters settled for second place with 26 gold medals, 20 silvers and 11 bronze medals while the University of Southern Philippines Foundation (USPF) finished at third with a 6-10-10 (gold-silver-bronze) tally. Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu (SHS-AdC) finished fourth with a 3-22-6 haul.

Leading the list of winners in USC’s final-day haul were high school tracksters Mary Joy Loberanis and Seth Abram Pilapil, who bagged three gold medals each in the event.

On the final day of the competition, Pilapil won in the 100m boys run while Loberanis ruled the girls’ 800m run.

Thrower Jan Dean Durano, who had two gold medals in the meet, won the javelin throw yesterday for USC while teammate Jan Allyson Pajantoy topped the distaff side.
USC also topped the 4x100m relay boys competition.

Melody Perez led the winners in the collegiate side after topping the 5-kilometer women’s run. USC’s other gold medalists in the collegiate division were Jassieryl Aligato (triple jump women’s), Jossielou Rebalde (100m women’s) and its women’s relay team which topped the 4×400 and 4x100m relays.

Record broken

Meanwhile, Prince Joey Lee of UC logged a new record in the men’s 5k race by clocking 15 minutes and 34.87 seconds for the gold.

He erased the record of former USPF ace Mendel Lopez, which stood at 16 minutes.

According to the tournament official Lyle Larida, they have to determine the year Lopez logged the record.

Lee’s gold was one of the 13 UC won yesterday.

UC’s other gold medalists in the collegiate division were Ronnie Durano (men’s javelin throw), Benjamin Reynes (100m men’s), Rizza Bausin (800m women’s), 4x400m relay men’s and 4x100m relay women’s.

UC’s gold medalists in the secondary division were Jhuvan Jhen Baculot (triple jump girls), Marvin Rafols (triple jump boys), Samantha Gem Limos (100m girls), Linmart Mata (800m boys), its relay team that topped the 4x100m and 400m relay girls and the 4x400m relay boys.