Dancesport Team Cebu City poses for a group photo after topping the 24th Philippine PDSF National Championship SEA Games Selection. | Contributed Photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines—The Dancesport Team Cebu City (DTCC) dominated the recently concluded 24th Philippine Dancesport Federation (PDSF) National Championship and Southeast Asian Games (SEAG) Selection held last weekend at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City, Metro Manila.
The team, headed by one of its founders and leaders Eleanor Hayco, the wife of DTCC’s director and founder Edward Hayco, harvested nine gold medals in the prestigious meet.
Eleanor and her partner, John Paul Mocorro, were among the winners for DTCC with two gold medals.
“Ten years ago, the team had a vision, a dream to dominate the championships. It wasn’t easy, it took a lot of effort, planning, sacrifice, initiatives, strategy, and a bag full of patience. After 10 years of perseverance, our Dancesport Team Cebu City finally dominated the national dancesport championship,” said Edward Hayco.
Eleanor and Mocorro topped the Latin Teacher-Student Special Event 55-above’s 3C and 3A categories. They also earned a silver medal in the standard senior 2C.
In total, DTCC finished their campaign with nine gold medals, nine silver medals, and four bronze medals to emerge as the top team in the competition.
Also bagging two gold medals were 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEAG) gold medalist Michael Angelo Marquez and his pair Stephanie Sabalo. They ruled the Grade A category and the SEA Games selection.
In addition, Jacob Dylan Esmero and Sofia Isabella Maree Quilaton also hauled two gold medals in the Latin Junior C & A categories.
The rest of the gold medalists were Shardie Abellana and Marjorie Abellana (Latin Grade C), Jasmer Labitad and Loraine Mae Pacaña (Latin Special Event 1F), Mary Ann Mata and Ric Russell Abao (Latin DepEd Teacher-2 Dance).
Meanwhile, Wilbert Aunzo and Pearl Marie Cañeda earned two silver medals in the Grade A and SEA Games selection.
According to Hayco, the pairs of Marquez and Sabalo, and Aunzo and Cañeda qualified to the 32nd SEA Games next year in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
The rest of DTCC’s silver medalists were John Lloyd Leyson and Ouie Selene Rendon (Youth A Latin and Standard), Francis Dave Sombal and Mitchloni Dinauanao (Youth C Latin & Standard), and Michael Miñoza & Ashley Cullo (Latin Jr A & Standard Jr A).
“Out of 100 high level and elite athletes, only six remained to reach the finals, and we swept the first places to the sixth places in the Latin category. It means that we will continue to dominate the championship for the next several years,” Hayco concluded.
/bmjo
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