HEATING UP: Cebu City gains headway in Batang Pinoy National Finals

Cebu City’s boys’ under-13 futsal team huddles after beating Pasig City in their last match. The team won the gold in the event.

Baguio City — The Cebuano athletes are starting to heat up in the third day of the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Batang Pinoy National Finals 2018 here in the Summer Capital of the Philippines.

Team Cebu City had its most productive day so far after hauling seven gold medals while Cebu Province captured three gilts.

Team Cebu City officials said the team now has 18 golds, 16 silvers, and 20 bronze medals in the multisporting meet. Cebu Province, on the other hand, has 15 gilts, six silvers and 12 bronze medals.

Most of Team Cebu City’s gold medals came from its arnisadors, who bagged five gold medals at the Saint Louis University (SLU) Junior High School campus.

The five winners are Sharmine Faith Lazaga, Jim Lou Suycano, Bernadeth Genobiagon, Zack Maverick Cañete, and Joshua Miguel Cañete.

Cebu City’s futsal team, manned by players from the Don Bosco Technical College (DBTC), ruled the boys’ under-13 futsal competition at the SLU main campus.

The team finished with an unbeaten record of nine wins, capped off with a 14-0 drubbing of Pasig City in their last match.

Dhexia Myle Bersabal, meanwhile, endured the cold weather to emerge as champion in the girls’ 11-12 years old age group of triathlon at the Baguio Athletic Bowl. She clocked 25 minutes and 46 seconds to defeat teammate Juliana Nicole Loberanis (26:37) and Maria Unica Ysabel Bayarong (27:31) of Olongapo City, who settled for second and third, respectively.

Cycling princesses
Cebu Province had another double gold medal haul in cycling courtesy of Talisay Luigi Triathlon Group’s Nicole Marie del Rosario and Jeanna Mariel Cañete. Both ruled the road race event of cycling, a day after topping their respective age groups in the criterium race.

Del Rosario ruled the 14-15 age group while Cañete topped the 12-13 category.
The race was a five-kilometer “King of the Mountain,” which means the route was mostly uphill.

Mariel Estreba was the third gold medalist for Cebu Province yesterday, ruling the triathlon’s 14-15 age category. She clocked 50:40.

Moira Frances Erediano (51:16) of Lapu-Lapu City and Honny May Yanong (54:17) of Laguna Province were the runners-up.

Cebu Province settled for a silver in the girls’ under-15 futsal after losing to eventual champions Tanauan City, 1-0, in their last match. A draw would have given the Cebuanos the gold.

The Mandaue City girls’ under-13 futsal team. /
Contributed

But the Cebuanos still made their presence felt in futsal at the SLU gym after dominating two categories courtesy of the Cebu City boys’ Under-13 team and the Mandaue City girls’ Under-13 team.

One of the most noticeable wins was from Mandaue City, which was considered an underdog in the meet.

Mandaue City, a mix of players from the vaunted Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu, University of Southern Philippines Foundation and from Barangay Labogon, ended its stint with a 3-3 draw against Davao City.

Both teams ended up unbeaten in seven games but Mandaue City had a higher goal difference over Davao City to bag the gold medal.

According to team manager John Tikoy Soon, Mandaue had a +3 advantage over Davao.

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