TAGUM CITY—Moira Frances Erediano won the girls’ triathlon for her second gold medal in the Philippine National Youth Games-Batang Pinoy Championships here.
Coming off a victory in criterium cycling on Sunday, the 13-year-old from Lapu-Lapu City topped the swim-bike-run event in 24 minutes and 19 seconds to defeat Alison Noble of San Fernando, La Union (25:34) and Jeanna Mariel Canete of Cebu province (27:00).
Erediano, the first athlete in the week-long tournament to secure two gold medals in different sports, will go for another gold in today’s duathlon apart from two more in cycling’s road race and individual time trial.
“I’m happy. It’s a nice feeling to win,’’ said the shy Grade 6 student from Sacred Heart School-Ateneo De Cebu.
Karen Manayon pulled off the biggest upset in the Games designed for athletes 17 years old and younger when the triathlete from Talisay, Cebu unseated three-time Batang Pinoy champion Nicole Eijansantos.
Trailing in the swim and bike segments, Manayon blazed the trail in the run part and defeated second-placer Jana Macalalad and Eijansantos in the 13-15 age bracket.
Manayon, who got a pair of bronze medals in cycling the other day, clocked 40:16, while Macalalad and Eijansantos timed 40:20 and 40:49, respectively.
Juan Francisco Baniqued defended his title in the boys’ 13-15 race in 37:08, beating Eduard Moritz Leuenberger of Davao City (37:18) and Baguio’s Joshua Alexander Ramos (37:50).
In the boys’ 11-12 group, Zedrick James Borja of San Pedro, Laguna clocked 22:21 to defeat Ian Paul Revadonia of General Santos City (24:50) and Matthew Justine Hermosa of Cebu (25:06) for the gold.
Long-distance runner Raymund Lopez of Agusan del Sur won the boys’ 16-17 5000m gold at the start of track and field competitions, while Trixie Dela Torre of Negros Occidental topped the long jump girls’ 13-15 years old.
Archers Jemuelle Espiritu of Baguio City and Neo-Jene Daciego of La Union won two golds each after dominating the Olympic round yeoman boys’ and girls’ events and the qualification rounds.
Other archers, who topped the Olympic rounds in the bowman division were Jeremiah Adrian Basadre of Koronadal and Danielle Espiritu of Baguio City while Vynes Jade Diano of South Cotabato and Koronadal’s John Carlo Loreno ruled the bowman qualification rounds.
In pencak silat, Alessandra Bernardo (girls’ 7-11), Tyron Bernardo (boys’ 11-14) and Hannah Leano (girls’ 11-14) also captured two gold medals each after topping the tunggal event and leading Zamboanga City to victory in the regu discipline.
Joining them was Jasper Jay Lachica who won the tunggal and headed Aklan’s triumph in the team regu. Another Zamboangeno, Noreen Bendano, struck gold in the tunggal girls 14-17 bracket.
Zamboanga now has nine gold and two silver medals to lead the overall medal tally followed by Baguio City and Aklan with three golds each. Running fourth and fifth with two golds are La Union and Koronadal City.
