Rookies Mervin Guarte of San Sebastian and Isidro del Prado, Jr. of St. Benilde continued to perform impressively as the two unleashed record-breaking performances in Day 3 of athletics action in Season 85 of the NCAA at the Rizal Memorial Track and Field Oval.
Guarte, 17, swooped down on the opposition to capture the 1,500-meter gold medal in 3:58.69 while re-arranging the 4:06.08 record of Mapua’s Rene Lardera set last season.
Mervin Guarte of San Sebastian
It was the third gold medal and the same number of record-breaking feat for the Calapan, Oriental Mindoro native after stamping his class in the 3,000m steeplechase and 800m two days ago.
“I’m happy to win again, I hope I could win a fourth [gold] in the 5,000m tomorrow [on Thursday]," said Guarte, who rose to prominence after storming to a pair of golden efforts in last year’s Palarong Pambansa in Tacloban City, Leyte, in Filipino.
Del Prado, for his part, made up for his heartbreaking defeat in the 100m by topping the 400m in 49.02, which was also a new record vice the 49.72 registered by Mapua’s Alejan Edgardo last year.
Sharing the spotlight with Guarte and Del Prado were Raian Espada of San Sebastian and Joey Molenilla of Letran, who reigned supreme in the junior and senior divisions of the 400m hurdles, both record breakers.
Espada timed in 58.80 to top the high school event while eclipsing the two-year-old mark of 59.12 set by Letran’s Irvin Fabellon.
Equally remarkable was Molenilla, who clocked 55.49 to rule the seniors division, in the process smashing the three-year-old record of Mapua’s Joemary Padilla.
It was the second mint copped by Espada, who swamped the opposition in the 400m with the best time of 52.46.
Ferdinand Corpuz gave San Sebastian another reason to celebrate as he snared the 1500m juniors gold in 4:15.55.
Melbert Diones, meanwhile, handed Jose Rizal U its first gold with a victory in the triple jump (14.09m).
- GMANews.TV
