UC’s Torregosa delivers promise in Cesafi athletics

Christian Tecson of UC leads the secondary boys hurdles of the Cesafi 2018 Athletics competition at the Cebu City Sports center.
CDN PHOTO Lito Tecson

University of Cebu’s (UC) Martchan Torregosa lived up to his promise of delivering a sensational performance in the athletics event of the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (Cesafi) by breaking two meet records yesterday at the Cebu City Sports Center oval.

The 16-year-old Torregosa, a ninth grader of UC, broke the 2007 meet record of Lindley Fran Navaja in the 400-meter run and the 2005 record of Alvin Burgador in the 400m hurdles secondary boy’s division en route to bagging two gold medals. Both Navaja and Burgador were former ace tracksters of UC.

He crossed the finish line at 51.64 seconds in the 400m run erasing Navaja’s 52-second record established in 2007.

Torregosa edged University of San Carlos-Basic Education’s (USC-BED) Ryan Keith Mendez, who finished at second with 54.23 seconds.

Kier Ivan Apostol also of USC-BED settled for third at 55.04 seconds.

In the 400m hurdles, Torregosa clocked 58.68 seconds erasing the 2005 record of Burgador while edging Sisters of Mary School (SMS) Boystown’s Ashley Ababon (1.01.91), and Apostol (1.04.84).

“I was very confident to win the gold medals in that event and break the records because like what I’ve said before, I really prepared for this competition way earlier this year because this is very important for me. I still have three events tomorrow (today) and hopefully, I can duplicate my success,” said Torregosa who also broke Burgador’s 2001 record in the Milo Little Olympics earlier this month in the 400m hurdles.

UC’s secondary division athletic squad gathered seven gilts while USC-BED had nine gilts so far. Aside from Torregosa, another Webmaster, Josie Inemedo, shone in the secondary competition yesterday after bagging three gold medals via the 200m girls, 400m girls, and 400m hurdles while the other gold medalists for UC were Crystal Villanueva (high jump girls), and Joan Alinsunod (3,000m girls).

USC-BED’s gold medalists were headed by Stephen Pekit-Pekit and Rafael Troy Lugay, who both had two.

Pekit-Pekit topped the high jump boys, and the 110m hurdles while Lugay dominated the 1,500m, and the 3,000m steeplechase.

USC-BED’s other gold medalists were Shawla Fernelli Santiago (discus throw girls), Dominic Woodard (discus throw boys), Mary Joy Loberanis (1,500m girls), John Joseph Berdin (shot put boys), and Francine Masendo (shot put girls).

Meanwhile, USC’s tertiary squad collected 10 gold medals courtesy of Allyson Pajantoy, who topped the shot put and the discus throw women’s, along with Christian Estella (400m), Geneciel Saballa (1,500m), Ruel Algufera (1,500m), Melody Perez (3,000m), Lovely Grace Peña (3,000m walk), Ronelyn Borres (400m hurdles), Roneth Ayuda (long jump), and Eglyn Selgas (long jump).

UC’s tertiary tracksters, on the other hand, won eight gold medals from Leo Ivan Bendijo (400m hurdles, high jump), Dwight Galola (3,000m), Jan Moses Estrada (shot put), Jan Kyle Quiño (discus throw), Jhuvan Jhen Baculot (long jump), Harold Kim Guiao (10,000m), Elyzza Mae Salinas (100m hurdles), and John Paul Apilan (110, hurdles).