Bottom ranking
Davraa last with no medal yet
Injured Palaro record holder fails to finish
DAVAO Region Athletic Association (Davraa) trackster Mea Gey Niñura failed to defend her gold medal and record in secondary girls 3,000-meter run having succumbed to a minor leg injury at the start of the Palarong Pambansa 2017 athletics competition at the EBJ Sports Complex Monday.
Coach Maylene Quimquie of Kapatagan, Digos City said, "Nag-lead man sya pero nabikil iyang right leg mga last 1,200 meters. Naa naman gud syay daang injury, na-trigger ra (She led the race but her right leg was hurt in the final 1,200 meters. She already had that injury, it was just triggered)."
Quimque, who has worked with the 2016 double Palaro gold medalist for the past four years, however, was positive that her ward will try to recover in her two remaining events – 1,500m set on Thursday and 800m.
She said Niñura was resting at the Davraa billeting quarters and her injury has already been attended to by medical staff.
The latter, in a Facebook interview Friday, said she was ready to defend her titles and that she is ready physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually.
"Gusto jud nako mabreak nako akong own records (I really want to break my own records)," the incoming Grade 12 student of Kapatagan National High School said.
Northern Mindanao's Jay Ann Labasano went on to clinch the gold while Jie Anne Calis of NCR got the silver and Ilocos Region's Maria Junaliza Abutas copped the bronze.
NCR was way ahead in the overall medal standings with 34 golds, 20 silvers and eight bronzes while 5-5-5 Western Visayas was second and 4-7-9 Calabarzon placed third.
But Davraa was at the bottom among 18 competing regions with zero medal as of 4 p.m. yesterday since the Palaro opened Sunday.
Meanwhile, Para Games athletes saved the day for Davraa.
Davraa Para Games athletics team hauled a total of four gold medals, two silvers and four bronzes to grab the third spot in the overall ranking.
Calabarzon Region took the lead, harvesting 10 golds, three silvers and two bronzes, while the National Capital Region was second with four golds, three silvers and three bronzes. Rosalia Abapo of Davraa heaved the iron ball to a distance of 7.48 meters, besting Western Visayas bets Angelica Barcelona (6.69m) and Jerelyn dela Cruz (6.39m) to clinch the I.D. 16-above girls shot put gold while Davraa's Mary Joy Salvacion pocketed the O.H. girls shot put (single below knee) gold.
Stephanie Orgino (4.91m) annexed the visually impaired girls shot pot gold over Abigail Magno (4.58) of NCR and JC Claire Yabut (4.02) of Calabarzon.
The elementary boys baseball team bounced back from a 3-2 loss to Western Visayas by eking out backto-back victories over Calabarzon, 6-3, and Zamboanga Peninsular, 3-2, while the elementary sepak junior regu team posted its second straight win after routing Mimaropa Region, 21-14, 21-7.
But the Davraa elementary girls softball team bowed to Central Luzon, 1-3.
The elementary boys tennis team, however, kept Davraa's hopes alive having secured a semifinals berth via a two-set triumph over Socsksargen while the Davraa elementary girls team absorbed two straight losses.
In secondary division, the Davraa football team was held to a scoreless draw with Zamboanga Peninsula. Davraa striker Noel Capuyan, Jr. suffered a shin injury during the tough game and was brought to the hospital for immedicate medical attention.
The secondary boys sepak takraw team of Davraa shared the bracket B lead with NCR as both teams held a 2-0 win-loss card each.