Nestor Ranido during the awarding ceremony. | Contributed photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Sugbuanon Bowlers United (SUGBU) made a strong impression at the inaugural Metro Cagayan Invitational Open Bowling Championships held at the SM Bowling Center in Cagayan de Oro City over the weekend.
SUGBU veteran Nestor Ranido excelled in the mixed seniors masters category, finishing as the overall runner-up among 24 competitors.
Ranido concluded his campaign with an impressive total of 1,276 pinfalls in six games, highlighted by his best performance in the fourth round, where he scored 221 pinfalls. He maintained an average of 213 pinfalls throughout the tournament.
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The title in the mixed seniors masters was claimed by Nelia Santos from the Pasig Bowling Association (PBA), who topped the field with a total of 1,290 pinfalls. Davao Tenpin Bowling Association’s Ric Mina rounded out the top three with 1,219 pinfalls.
Ranido’s teammate, Manny Bueno, also put forth a decent performance, securing sixth place with 1,162 pinfalls.
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Heber Alqueza poses with the tournament organizers during the awarding. | Contributed photo
In the mixed masters division, Heber Alqueza, son of SUGBU president Edgar Alqueza, finished as the second runner-up.
Alqueza qualified second overall with 1,679 pinfalls but faced a challenging semifinal against Crystal Echavez of the Davao Tenpin Bowling Association (DATBA), losing with a score of 166-184. Echavez went on to win the finals against Jesrael Rule to claim the title.
Former national team member and SUGBU bowler Jomar Jumapao finished fourth in the mixed masters division.
Additionally, Ranido and Alqueza secured fifth and seventh places, respectively, in the mixed classified masters category, further showcasing SUGBU’s competitive depth.