Baguio City—Fourteen athletes, led by hometown favorite Katherine Khay Santos, met the qualifying standards set for those who wish to earn slots for the national team in the first day of the Ayala Philippine Athletics Championships on Thursday.
The comebacking Santos did this after clearing 6.06 meters on her first attempt in the women’s long jump, upsetting another returning veteran in Marestella Torres-Sunang, who settled for the silver at the same distance.
The Baguio-born standout earned the first of her two gold-medal wins in the athletic tournament also known as the National Open, achieved at the Baguio Athletic Bowl, where Santos had been competing and training in since her elementary days.
The 31-year-old Santos could have gone higher than what Sunang has cleared. But the 5’5” Santos abandoned her sixth try in favor of a chance to get a second gold medal in the women’s 100-meter dash.
Having barely enough time to recover from her clash with Sunang, Santos engaged Palarong Pambansa standout Erica Marie Ruto in a quick race to the finish line to end up with the gold medal in 12.61 seconds.
“Hindi ko na tinapos ang sixth jump ko. Alanganin na ako sa 100 meters. Baka hindi na ako makatakbo. Iyung fifth jump ko ay 6.01 meters, gusto ko pa iangat iyun. Dahil apat lang kami (competing), konti lang ang recovery. Kaya humabol na ako sa 100 meters,” said Santos, a single mom, cheered on by family members and her son Nathan.
The 40-year-old Torres-Sunang, who postponed plans to retire, also had 6.06 meters, but she missed a chance to go higher after admitting that she got rusty on her landing technique, reasoning out that she needed to get her feet straight, but could not.
Santos earned a chance to join Torres-Sunang in the national team for the coming 2022 Southeast Asian Games since both surpassed the qualifying standard that the Philippine Athletic Track and Field Association set at 5.5 meters.
A chance to claim a slot in women’s 100-meter dash is also possible for Santos and Ruto, who settled for the silver in 12.61 seconds as both have eclipsed the qualifying time of 13 seconds.
SEA Games gold medallist Clinton Kingsley Bautista, getting no help from injured Anfernee Lopena, topped the men’s 100-meter sprint in 10.86 seconds, meeting the qualifying time of 11 seconds.
Lopena, a bronze medallist in the 4×100 meter relays, slowed down after the first 20 meters and gave in because of pain in his right hamstring, allowing Rocky Feller Ramos to get the silver in 11.02 seconds.
Vince Buhayan took the bronze in 11.03 seconds.
John Albert Mantua came up with a new personal best in making the qualifying standard in the discus throw (47.76) on his fourth try.
University of the Philippine standout Edwin Giron claimed the gold in the men’s 800-meter run, breaching the qualifying time of 2:10 in 1:53.15.
His rivals John Lloyd Gabalo (2:01.37) and Elbren Neri (2:01.40) joined Giron in getting opportunities to make the national squad with their silver and bronze medal wins.
La Salle bet Bernalyn Bejoy renewed her chance to be part of the Philippine squad after checking in a 2:15.99, ahead of Far Eastern University’s Ma. Joana Abutas.
Daniella Daynata showed the way in the women’s discus throw at 41.30 meters to also make the qualifying grade.
And so did SEA Games decathlon bronze medallist Janry Ubas, who topped the men’s long jump in 7.32 meters as he made qualification with Karl Aquino (7.28) and Miller Manubat (7.17).
