Polytechnic U arnis bet scoops 3 PNG golds
MATT Guile Cruz captured three gold medals in arnis even as University of Santo Tomas capped a scintillating show at the end of the 2015 POC-PSC Philippine National Games Luzon leg with three victories in judo yesterday.
The 16-year-old Cruz, who represents Polytechnic University of the Philippines, humbled Benny Felwa of Benguet for the lightweight title in full-contact arnis before spearheading his school in the team single- weapon anyo event together with Rex Ivan Edevia and Juan Miguel Bautista.
Bautista and Cruz later joined hands in a victorious routine in the team sword and dagger along with Ian Patrick Gurrobat, who also won the individual-double baston anyo event.
The state university collected eight gold medals in the sport held at Marikina Riverbanks, but Baguio City emerged overall winner with 10 golds.
Middleweight Manly Bayona and senior lightweight Henry Mikael Cando scored for Baguio in the men’s full contact while flyweight Kristen Tamiking, lightweight Florentina Pascual, welterweight Jana Balicdang, bantamweight Frannie Lupae (bantamweight) and junior lightweight Norie Joy Sagun struck in the women’s side.
Baguio entries also prevailed in the team sword and dagger through Danica Caw-is, Balicdang and Sagun and in single weapon through Felvey Ah-ul.
Over at Makati Coliseum, UST judokas Aislyn Yap (-78 kg), Trina Esguerra (-70 kg) and Filipino-Japanese Sueko Kinjho (-52 kg) triumphed, a day after their school won 19 athletics golds.
Kinjho scored an ippon over Geromae Zia Dennise Roldan of Davao while Yap and Esguerra won in the same fashion over Baguio’s Shalimar Masong and Alyssa Flores of UP-Diliman, respectively.
In sepak takraw, Team Earist bagged the men’s and women’s titles with wins over Team Lubao (Pampanga) and PUP.
Rudolph Alvarez, Jerald Lambit, Florante Baleta, Rustom Calvo and Billy Sesbino were the members of the men’s regu champion squad while Mary Ann Lopez, Cristianne Pepano, Ana Maureen Vega, Elaine Gallardo and Shaiza Dalisay topped the women’s competition.
Other judo gold medalists: Patricia Nicole Rosario (-63 kg), Jamaica Ponciano of Muntinlupa City, Alexis Plantard (-90 kg), Therddie Escovilla (-100 kg), Anne Ramirez (-57 kg), Queenie Saenz (-44 kg) and Fil-Japs Ryuki Koike (-66 kg), Kohei Kohagura (-81 kg) and Keisei Nakano (-73 kg).