Barefoot runner spoils 4-gold sweep by NCR in sprint events

LAOAG CITY — Western Visayas just put a dent on National Capital Region’s anticipated spotless coronation run, dealing two defeats in the two centerpiece events of the 2025 Palarong Pambansa here.

A barefoot runner in Trixia Ann Arellano from Concepcion, Iloilo denied a four-gold sweep from the Big City in the highlight 100m dashes followed by St. Roberts International Academy of Iloilo’s 76-67 stunner to dethrone champion National University-Nazareth School as early as the quarterfinals in the secondary boys’ basketball at the Ilocos Norte Centennial Arena.

The last time NCR failed to make the finals of its pet event was in 2016 Palaro Albay when CALABARZON represented by San Beda-Rizal eliminated the latter in the semifinals en route to the championship over Central Luzon.

But the spotlight shone brighter on neophyte yet already the games’ fastest runner in Arellano at the Ferdinand E. Marcos Memorial Stadium as she completed Iloilo’s last-ditch snatching of two coveted eggs from the nests of NCR on its way to 18^th straight Palaro overall crown — all without running shoes.

Arellano blitzed for 12.84 seconds in the elementary girls’ century run to be hailed as this year’s Palaro sprint princess after also ruling the 200m (26.4) the other day and breaking the 26.7 mark of NCR’s Maureen Emily Schrijvers’ in the 2008 Palaro Puerto Princesa.

“I’m slow with shoes,” said the 11-year Grade 6 student, who glided through the track oval with comfortability over Northern Mindanao’s Dale Jane Tagalog (12.99s) and Bicol’s Mary Anthonette delos Santos (13.09).

She actually ran with shoes in the heats of 200m but failed to top the race although she still got in with qualifying time before running roughshod in the finals barefooted with eyes on the 4×100 relay on Thursday for her third gold.

“I win when I run barefooted,” beamed the newbie trackster, a daughter of fisherfolks in the Iloilo coastal town, without experience even in regional and Batang Pinoy.

Her conquest spoiled NCR’s sprint domination as Malabon’s Cris Ivan Domingo (12.04), winner of 200m and 400m as well, ruled the elementary boys’ 100m for the sprint prince title while sprint king and queen Pi Durden Forward Wangkay (10.82) of Muntinlupa and Jeralyn Rodriguez (12.05) of Manila won the secondary boys’ and girls’ century dashes.

Ms. Wangkay also reigned in the 200m while Ms. Rodriguez captured the 200m and 400m for total domination by the Big City in the staple sprint events of Palaro that on the other hand had the biggest upset in secondary boys’ basketball in over a decade.

Meanwhile, archer Naina Dominique Tagle from Central Visayas wasn’t to be left behind in the race for the most bemedaled athlete currently led by swimmers and gymnasts with four gold medals (50m, 30m, 60m and 1440 round), including two new records.

Ms. Tagle, an incoming Grade 12 student from Silliman University in Dumaguete, scored 343 in the 30m to beat the 342 of Ilocos Region’s Irish Angel Licudan in 2018 Palaro Vigan and 1294 in the 1440 to surpass her own mark of 1278 in 2023 Palaro Marikina.

And she’s not yet done.

“As of now, my best collection is in 2023 where  I got 6 gold medals and 2 silvers. I hope this year, I will be better,” said Ms. Tagle, still not contented in her medal haul.

Moreover, Titus Rafael Sia and Sophia Rose Garra won their fifth gold medal in elementary swimming to tie gymnasts Arman Hernandez Jr. of NCR and Sheena Jillianne Ty of Central Luzon as the most bemedaled athletes so far.

NCR, despite the historic defeats, is a cinch for yet another Palaro overall title with 73 gold, 51 silver and 27 bronze medals with a day to go in the competitions as CALABARZON (30-44-40) and Western Visayas (24-33-27) trail far behind.

NOTE: Pending verification from the PATAFA, five athletics stars could also break the national junior records after resetting the Palaro marks in Western Visayas’ Mico Villaran (secondary boys’ 100m hurldes), Bicol’s Ana Bhiana Espinilla (secondary girls’ javelin throw), Central Luzon’s Alfred Talplacido (secondary boys’ 400m), CALABARZON’s Sam Garcia (elementary girls’ shot put) and Western Visayas’ Josh Gabriel Salcedo (secondary boys’ discus throw). — John Bryan Ulanday