Cesafi swimmers rule PRISAA Region 7 meet

The SHS-AdC swimming team. | Contributed photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines – Cebuano tankers, mostly champions from last year’s Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (Cesafi), outswam the visiting Boholanos to rule the swimming competition of the Private Schools Athletic Association (PRISAA) Region 7 Games last Sunday, March 2.

Cebu PRISAA’s collegiate swimmers put on a commanding performance, collecting 41 gold, 28 silver, and four bronze medals to claim the overall championship. Their high school counterparts followed suit, amassing a 29-21-8 haul to emerge victorious in their division.

Bohol PRISAA settled for a 12-17-23 tally in the high school division, while their collegiate team managed just one gold, seven silvers, and 18 bronzes.

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PRISAA SWIMMING

Maria Angela Cimafranca of the University of San Carlos (USC) led the charge for Cebu in the collegiate division, finishing as the most bemedaled swimmer with five golds in the 100m and 200m breaststroke, 50m butterfly, 50m breaststroke, and 200m individual medley (IM) during the PRISAA swimming competition held at the Cebu City Sports Center (CCSC) Aquatics Center.

University of Cebu’s (UC) Albren Jan Dayapdapan followed closely, bagging four golds in the men’s 100m breaststroke, 200m butterfly, 200m breaststroke, and 50m breaststroke.

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Elite triathlete Karen Andrea Manayon, also from USC, made her presence felt with three gold medals in the 800m freestyle, 200m freestyle, and 400m freestyle. Southeast Asian Games (SEAG) double-silver medalist Andrew Kim Remolino, who is also a  USC tanker, contributed two golds in the 1,500m freestyle and 200m freestyle.

UC’s Mike Gabriel Dela Serna (100m backstroke, 400m IM, 200m IM) and USC’s Jehaosh Reign Garrido (50m freestyle, 100m butterfly, 50m butterfly) secured three golds each, while Eim Espina (200m butterfly, 100m butterfly), Althea Mataragnon (50m freestyle, 100m freestyle), and Heleina Julia Rabanes (200m backstroke, 50m backstroke) added to Cebu’s golden haul.

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HIGH SCHOOL DIVISION

In the high school division, the Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu (SHS-AdC) led Cebu PRISAA’s gold medal haul.

Randy Lacierda and Liana Adrienne Tolato were the top performers, winning five and four golds, respectively. Lacierda dominated the 200m freestyle, 50m freestyle, 100m freestyle, 50m backstroke, and 50m butterfly, while Tolato topped the 800m freestyle, 200m freestyle, 400m freestyle, and 200m IM.

SHS-AdC’s Febreonna Limosnero, Zion Valencia, and Rhian Casey Casona also secured three gold medals each.

Bohol PRISAA’s standout swimmer was Vittorio Gallito, who captured three golds in the 100m breaststroke, 200m breaststroke, and 50m breaststroke.

These multiple gold medalists from both Cebu and Bohol will make up PRISAA Region 7’s team for the PRISAA National Games next month in Tuguegarao City.