ILAGAN CITY – Armed with longer limbs and greater strides, the band of Filipino-Heritage athletes who found their way back to their roots displayed their class and ruled the running events in the ICTSI Philippine Athletics Championships at the City of Ilagan Sports Complex on Wednesday, March 22.

Angel Frank holds the flag after ruling the women's 400-meter open (Photo courtesy of Rio Deluvio)

The highly-touted Umajesty Williams, despite still recovering from an Achilles tendonitis injury, lived as good as advertised after winning the 400-meter run with a time of 47.15 seconds.

The Fil-American sprinter bested La Union’s Frederick Ramirez who clocked 47.40 and fellow national team member Michael  Del Prado who had a 47.41 time.

On the distaff side, first-time national open participant and Fil-American runner Angel Frank also won the 400m event clocking in 53.69 seconds. 

Vying for a spot in the national team, Frank bested Danae Manibog who finished the race in 54.73 seconds ahead of Vietnamese sprinter Hoang Thi Minh Hang who timed 54.94 seconds.

Another first-timer in John Cabang pulled off a shocker in the opening day of the tournament, defeating last SEA Games gold medalist and record-holder Clinton Bautista by a hairline to bag the 110m hurdles crown. 

The Filipino-blooded but Spanish-born hurdler clocked 14.35 seconds to beat Bautista’s 14.40 and  Shareem Abdul-Raheem’s 14.47.

In the 100m hurdles women’s open, aspiring national athlete Lauren Hoffman was the lone Filipino who finished on the podium, taking the silver medal after recording a 13.72 time.

She was bested by Hunh Thi My Tien of Vietnam who clocked 13.59 for the gold medal while the last SEAG gold medalist Bui Thi Ngueyn settled for the bronze after a 13.83 performance.