30th Cebu City Olympics: UC harvests gold medals, breaks records in athletics and swimming events 

Anthony James Salem of UC leaps high in the secondary boys’ long jump event of the 30th Cebu City Olympics at the CCSC on Sunday. | Photo from Sugbuanong Kodaker

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The University of Cebu (UC) Webmasters’ tracksters and tankers put on dominating and record-breaking performances in the first two days of the 30th Cebu City Olympics at the Cebu City Sports Center (CCSC). 

This was after the Webmasters racked up gold medals in both events. They harvested most of their gold medals in the swimming secondary division with 22 gilts while adding 6 more in the athletics event at the CCSC. 

On top of that, UC’s tankers broke 11 of the 14 meet records after two days of competition. 

READ: High school tankers of UC Webmasters break 8 records in Cesafi swimming competition

Valencia, Dela Serna breaks records

Andrei Valencia and Mike Gabbrie Dela Serna led UC’s record-breaking performances by setting three records each in the swimming competition secondary division.

Valencia topped the 50-meter butterfly by clocking in 27.36 seconds, erasing Jehaosh Garrido’s 29.59 records. He also erased Christante Veloso’s 58.73 records in the 100m freestyle with his 57.77 official time. Lastly, Valencia eclipsed Michael Ichiro Kong’s 100m butterfly record of 1 minute and 02.41 seconds with his 1:01.00 record. Besides his three-record-breaking gold medal wins, Valencia netted a gilt in the 200m butterfly event. 

Meanwhile, Dela Serna’s new records came from the 100m backstroke boys with a new time of 1:05.78, shattering Christante Veloso’s 1:06.05 record. He also tallied a new meet record in the 50m backstroke at 29.74 seconds erasing Isiah Gorme’s 31.00 records. Lastly, Dela Serna bested his own meet record in the 400m Individual Medley (IM) of 5:48.17 with a new 5:36.46. 

Indaya, Mata also set new records

Also, Mary Pauline Indaya and Em-Ji Mata each set two new records in swimming. 

Indaya eclipsed Tiffany Delos Reyes’ 50m breaststroke secondary girls of 42.38 seconds with her 40.08 new records. She also set a new record in the 400m IM at 6:16.36, replacing Bencynt Luage’s old record of 6:17.89. Also, Indaya bagged two gold medals by topping the 200m IM and 200m butterfly events. 

Mata sets a new record in the 200m breaststroke in 2:39.31, besting Marlon Galo’s 2:42.51 record. He also sets a new 50m breaststroke record in 33.59 seconds, erasing Psalm Aquino’s 35.84 seconds. Mata completed his impressive outing with a gold medal in the 200m IM. 

Also, UC’s boys’ relay team set a new 400m medley relay record in 4:33.28, replacing Unit 4’s 4:54.37.  Aside from that, UC also netted gold medals in the 400m medley relay and freestyle relay girls’ events. 

In athletics, Anthony James Salem and Ray Clarke Dela Calzada scored two gold medals apiece. This as Salem topped the long jump and high jump events, while Dela Calzada ruled the shot put and discus throw events. 

Nexxus Exequiel Tabar added a gold medal for UC by lording it over the 3,000m run, while Jared Johnson Binondo topped the 400m hurdles. 

READ: USC rules Cesafi swim meet’s college division

Other record breakers 

The University of San Carlos finished with three gold medals in the secondary division swimming along with two new meet records, while its elementary tankers earned a whopping 11 gilts.

READ: Carcar eyed as CVIRAA host

Meanwhile, Unit 8 had eight gold medals in the elementary division, while its secondary division swimmers had four gold medals. 

USC’s record breakers were its 200m medley relay boys team, who finished their swim in 2:07.32, breaking their old meet record of 2:10.02. Also, their girls’ relay team erased Maria Montessori International School’s 1:56.47 record in the 200m freestyle with a brand-new 1:54.79 record. 

On the other hand, Juliet Allysa Sedeno, who hauled four gold medals, set a new 50m backstroke secondary girls record in 35.28 seconds to replace her old meet record of 35.68 seconds. 

Various competitions will be held throughout the week in different venues around Cebu City to determine the qualified athletes and teams to represent Cebu City in the upcoming Central Visayas Regional Athletic Association (CVIRAA) in Carcar City next month.