Aklan athletes share limelight with Palaro’s best
BY BOY RYAN B. ZABAL

KALIBO, Aklan – Trackster Alyssa Marie Andrade emerged as the most bemedalled athlete in the elementary girls division of the recently concluded 2010 Palarong Pambansa in San Jose, Tarlac.
Her medals include four gold medals in long jump, triple jump, 100 meters and 4 x 100 meter relay.
Andrade of Dumaguit Elementary School set a new record in long jump with 5.07 meters, extending the old mark by eight centimeters, set in the 2000 edition. Her leap of 10.80 meters also erased Irin Balauran’s 10.42 meters effort at the 2005 Palarong Pambansa.
Andrade, who impressed the spectators with her desire to win the events, also collected two golds thanks to the triumph of Western Visayas in the 4 x 100-meter team relay and her 100 meters dash with a time of 13.39 seconds.
The 17-year old Ramon Leonardo Lumibao of Northwestern Visayan Colleges was also named Most Valuable Player and Best Blocker as the Western Visayas team ruled the secondary boys volleyball.
In arnis, the five-man Aklan team shone brightest with gold medals in full contact extra lightweight and pinweight secondary boys division courtesy of Venndelle Magdael of Regional Science High School and John Freche Bautista and bronze medal in full contact featherweight by Jeremiah Estrada.
The trio of Rainer Paul Vallejo, Estrada and Magdael also captured the golds in the anyo team single weapon and anyo team double weapon. The 15-year old Vallejo of Regional Science High School also produced silver medal in the anyo individual event double identical weapon and a bronze in individual single weapon.
In boxing, Raymund Salmingo of Union National High School won the bronze in the mosquito weight 39 kgs while Jeril Panado of Christ the King School bagged the bronze in badminton elementary boys team tie and Izza Marie Lourdes Masangcay of Ibajay Central School gave Western Visayas another silver in the elementary girls team tie.

In other athletics events, Jerrymay Rubias also grabbed the silver in the elementary javelin throw with 35.63 meters, Mary Cris Tabiolo snatched the gold in the 4 x 100 meter relay and the silver in the elementary girls' 4 x 400 meter relay.

Ma. Jessa Valeriano ran away with the gold medal in 800 meters run secondary girls clocking 2:20:50, silver in 1,500 meters and the bronze in the 4 x 400 meter relay team.