Boy Tangeres of Negros Oriental dives for a steal on the second base against Cebu Province’s Joseph Magdadaro during their semifinal match in the baseball event of the Central Visayas Athletic Association yesterday. (CDN PHOTO/TONEE DESPOJO)
After leading the medal tally for days, its no surprise that the Cebu City Niños are also lording it over the Overall General Championship Points (OGCP) standings after three days of the Central Visayas Regional Athletic Association (CVIRAA) meet.
The points system is used to determine the 17-division meet’s overall champion.
The Niños have accumulated a total of 234 points from their elementary and secondary squads. Cebu City’s elementary team has 106 points while its secondary division hauled 128 at the conclusion of the medal-rich swimming competition, arnis, taekwondo, volleyball and table tennis.
Mandaue City is a far second with 109.5 points while Cebu Province has 76 points for third. Tagbilaran City is in fourth place with 73 points while Dumaguete City is in fifth with 52.
The Niños hauled 120 points in swimming after sweeping both the elementary and secondary classes, got 49 points from their taekwondo jins and 35 points from volleyball. Cebu City’s arnisadors delivered 30 points.
The Niños taekwondo jins won 15 gold medals, five from their elementary division and 10 from their secondary players.
Wendil Jay Rama, Maria Martha Dela Victoria, Anne Sharmaine Albaraccin, Chaynah Labiste and Aidaine Keisha Laxa won golds for Cebu City’s elementary division while its secondary gold medalists were Mayne Yengele Coran (flyweight), Veronica Garces (finweight), Maria Carmela Coran (bantamweight), Ashwera Nicole Dayuday (feather weight), Andrea Janna Lim (lightweight), Marie Hanz Therese Espina (welterweight). secondary boys John Dominic Sedullo (finweight), Eric Garces Jr (featherweight) and Kristian Ralph Tagarao (welterweight).
ATHLETICS/BOXING
The Niños also won six more gold medals at the tracks yesterday courtesy of Joseph Camingao (110m hurdles), Ivan Miguel Santos (3,000m steeple chase), Kierl Jie Emnace (800m run) in the secondary division and Oliver Angco (110m hurdles), Josie Inemendo (110m hurdles girls) in the elementary division. Cebu City also swept the elementary and secondary rhythmic gymnastics.
In boxing, Cebu City sent three boxers to the gold medal round after Joe Paul Tanudra edged Berlan Robles of Talisay City via second round TKO (40-kilogram division); John Dominique Casanares won over Glen Mark Minguito of Negros Oriental (42kg) via first round TKO and Junrel Jimenez beat Tagbilaran City’s John Vergel Cornel (46-49kg) via unanimous decision.
Two Lapu-Lapu City boxers also marched to today’s finals including Juny Vic Inso who won over Jeson Alfornon of Cebu Province (36-38kg) and John Ric Inso who beat Cebu Province’s Clint Gersale (44-46kg).
FOOTBALL
Cebu City likewise advanced to the finals in secondary and elementary football and secondary basketball.
The Niños defeated Bayawan City, 4-1, to face Cebu Province in today’s gold medal match at the Don Bosco Technology Center (DBTC) field while Cebu Province stunned Mandaue City, 4-0. Cebu City’s elementary booters edged Bohol, 6-1, and will meet City which blanked Negros Oriental, 4-0 for the gold.
BASKETBALL/VOLLEYBALL
In basketball, Cebu City will face reigning Palarong Pambansa champions Mandaue City manned by the Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu (SHS-AdC) in the secondary division final at the Cebu Coliseum. Cebu City won over Bohol Province, 93-60, while Mandaue City trounced Dumaguete City, 99-57.
In volleyball, Cebu City’s elementary boys won gold after routing Bohol Province, 25-16, 25-19 while its secondary boys lost to Mandaue City, 23-25, 25-16, 25-19 in the semifinals. Cebu City also won gold in secondary girls after outlasting Cebu Province, 25-14, 25-7, 25-21 while Cebu Province’s vaunted Catmon Central School girls retained their title for the 11th time.