John Marvin Rafols of Cebu City won the gold medal in secondary boys triple jump as the Niños finally found their mark in athletics in the ongoing Cviraa Meet in the City of Naga. (CDN PHOTO/TONEE DESPOJO)
Loberanis finally beats tormentor, Niños soar beyond reach in Cviraa
City of Naga — Her hopes of finally conquering a perennial tormentor was fading, but Mary Joy Loberanis summoned every ounce of strength as she neared the finish line to complete a dramatic end to a string of morale-shattering losses.
Loberanis of the Cebu City Niños exorcised the ghost of a bitter past by ruling the secondary girls’ 800-meter run yesterday in the 2017 Central Visayas Regional Athletic Association (Cviraa) Regional Meet at the Teodoro Mendiola Sr. Track and Field Oval.
And the usually serene Loberanis let it all out with a howl the moment she crossed the finish line…..first.
She clocked two minutes and 24.59 seconds, enough to beat Joan Alinsunod of the host city who timed 2:31.55–good for just third place. Rosemarie España of Bohol Province came in second at 2:29.41.
“I was kinda down going into the contest. She (Alinsunod) beat me last year twice and also twice this year,” said the 14-year-old student of the University of San Carlos-Basic Education Department.
YEEEEES! Mary Joy Loberanis of Cebu City whoops it up at the finish line after winning the gold in secondary girls 800m in the 2017 Central Visayas Regional Athletic Association (Cviraa) Meet at the Teodoro Mendiola Sports Oval in the City of Naga. (CDN PHOTO/TONEE DESPOJO)
Last Tuesday, Alinsunod gave herself a fitting birthday present when she won the 1,500m event in a bruising duel with Loberanis as the former timed 5:02.31 against the latter’s 5:02.99.
Yesterday morning, Alinsunod also ruled the 3,000m run in a contest that saw Loberanis failing to make the top three.
Niños beyond reach
Mary Joy’s inspired performance capped another massive gold haul by the Niños, who are well on their way of pocketing their 25th straight crown.
The swimming team yesterday harvested 22 golds, 14 silvers and 13 bronzes while the taekwondo jins produced 13 gilts.
Going into today’s contest, the Niños sit comfortably on top with 99 golds, 53 silvers and 45 bronzes.
In second place is Cebu Province with 22 golds, 18 silvers and 19 bronzes while Bohol Province is in third with a 19-20-28 (g-s-b) count.
Completing the top five were Tagbilaran City and Lapu-Lapu City at 10-7-9 and 6-20-20, respectively.
Karen Mae Indaya was again the most productive swimmer yesterday by copping three individual golds in secondary girls’ 200IM, 200m freestyle and 100m butterly.
Last Monday, Indaya ruled the 400m freestyle and 100m backstroke.
Leo Bendejo of Bohol proudly shows his harvest of two golds and a bronze from track and field. (CDN PHOTO/TONEE DESPOJO)
Gold medallists in the taekwondo were Dominic Sator (secondary boys welterweight), Michael Noel Boncales (sb light middleweight), Wayne Clemen (sb light heavyweight), Warren Rama (sb finweight), Dineson Caneda (sb flyweight), David Labiste (sb bantamweight) and Patrick Seares (sb lightweight), Loralee Natividad (secondary girls welterweight), Julia Yarra (sg light middleweight), Ellen Joy Villacarlos (sg middleweight), Vengele Mayn Coran (sg bantamweight) and Princess Parba (sg lightweight).
John Vincent Lirazan accounted for Cebu City’s lone gold in arnis via the individual anyo competition solo baston.
Gold winners in athletics were Jhuvan Jhen Baculot (sg triple jump), Samantha Gem Limos (sg 200m run), Crystal Villanueva (sg high jump), Elyza May Salinas (sg 100m hurdles), Seth Abram Pilapil (sb 200m) and John Marvin Rafols (sg triple jump).