Della, 16, breaks the 16-17 boys 200m IM Batang Pinoy record
Courtney Jewel Trangia earns first Masbate gold
TANKER Anton Paulo Della of San Fernando La Union splashed his way to a record-breaking effort even as thrower Courtney Jewel Trangia of Masbate claimed the first gold medal in yesterday’s Batang Pinoy at the RVM Sports Complex in Puerto Princesa, Palawan.
Mr. Della, 16, timed in two minutes and 15.58 seconds in eclipsing the 16-17 boys 200-meter individual medley (IM) record of 2:16.66 set by Lucena’s Peter Cyrus Dean last year in Manila.
It came a couple of hours after Ms. Trangia, a 12th grader from Masbate Sports Academy, drew first blood by striking the first mint in the weeklong meet bankrolled by the Philippine Sports Commission with her under-18 girls discus throw triumph where she threw 38.3m.
She bested Davao del Norte’s Hannah Ashlei Regaya (31.54m) and Maasin’s Trisha Gayle Nalla (31.06m), who settled for the silver and bronze, respectively.
It wasn’t the distance that Ms. Trangia, who will compete in an age-group meet in Malaysia next week, was hoping for though.
Ms. Trangia, who tried but failed to match, if not eclipse, her personal best of 40.19m she set in the ICTSI National Open in Pasig early this year.
Meanwhile, host Puerto Princesa copped its first gold courtesy of swimmer Zachary Joseph Tovera, who topped the 14-15 boys 50m backstroke in 29.95 ahead.
In chess, it was Oscar Cantela and Christan Gian Karlo Arca who led the early gold winners by topping the rapid event for boys 16 to 17 years old and 15 years old, respectively.
Other winners in the event were Sta. Rosa’s Jarhed Diocares (boys 14), Lipa’s Rafiel Irvin Lacorte (boys 13), Agusan del Norte’s Jake Andre Aballer (boys 12), Bohol’s Kristine Belano (girls 16-17), Canlaon’s Ryien Bahita (girls 15), Toledo’s Apple Rubin (girls 14), Cagayan de Oro’s Zhaoyu Capilitan (girls 13) and Zamboanga City’s Cyreine Jean Borce (girls 12). — Joey Villar
