UC shatters 13 Cebu City Olympics swimming records

UC Webmasters swimming team’s medalists during the Cebu City Olympics in Naga City over the weekend. | Contributed photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The University of Cebu (UC) Webmasters swimming team etched a milestone in the Cebu City Olympics (CCO) swimming competition over the weekend after setting 13 new meet records at the City of Naga Swimming Pool in southern Cebu. 

The Webmasters Mike Gabrielle Dela Serna, Em-Ji Mata, and Brianna Joelle Pahayahay wrapped up their dominant performances by resetting multiple individual records in the meet. 

UC finished with 32 gold medals out of 72 events in the secondary division competition. They also bagged 12 silvers and six bronzes. 

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Dela Serna bested three of his meet records in the 400-meter individual medley (IM), 100m backstroke, and 50m backstroke. 

In the 400m IM, Dela Serna clocked in 5 minutes and 29.12 seconds to erase his 2023 Cebu City Olympics record of 5 minutes and 36.46 seconds. He finished the 100m backstroke in 1:03.97 to erase his CCO 2023 record of 1:05.78.

Cebu City Olympics

Lastly, Dela Serna resets his 2023 record of 29.74 seconds in the 50m breaststroke by clocking in 29.31 seconds last weekend. 

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Meanwhile, Mata also sets three new records. He sets a new 1:10.09 100m breaststroke record to unseat Francisco Archie II’s 1:11.52. 

He went on to set a new 50m breaststroke record of 32.22 seconds, besting his 2023 record of 33.59 seconds. 

Also, Mata logged a new 200m breaststroke record of 2:36.47, beating his 2023 meet record of 2:39.31. 

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On the other hand, Pahayahay finished her campaign for UC with twin record-setting wins.

She resets her teammate Mary Pauline Indaya’s 2023 record in the 50m breaststroke secondary girls with 37.84 seconds over the latter’s 40.08 seconds. 

Indaya also resets Patrice Jacalan’s 31.62 second 50m freestyle record of the Cebu City Olympics with her 30.25 official time. 

UC record setters

UC’s other record setters were Indaya in the girls’ 400m individual medley at 6:11.56, erasing her own record of 6:16.36. 

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

UC’s relay teams broke the records in the 4x50m freestyle secondary boys, 4x100m medley relay secondary girls, 4x100m freestyle relay secondary girls, and 4x50m freestyle relay secondary boys. 

UC’s dominant outing was possible with its seasoned coaches headed by Lolita Alvarez, the wife of the late multi-titled coach Lando Alvarez, and vaunted swimmer turned volunteer coach Karen Indaya. 

Unit 8 came in second in the overall medal tally of the Cebu City Olympics (CCO) swimming competition with 20 gold medals, 19 silvers, and 12 bronzes. 

The University of San Carlos came in third place with six gilts, 13 silvers, and 14 bronzes.