Silay City pride nabs first National Open gold
Published Mar 22, 2023 04:00 am
ILAGAN CITY – Aira Teodosio launched her dream to become one of the proud national team athletes in the same fashion she threw the winning discus that allowed her to emerge the best among her competitors on a sunny Wednesday morning, March 22.
The pride of Silay City, currently under the banner of the host team Ilagan City, heaved 38.46 meters to top the discus throw event and pluck the first gold medal in the ICTSI Philippine Athletics Championship at the City of Ilagan Sports Complex here.
The 25-year-old thrower bagged her first national championship, besting a formidable roster of some of the country’s top and up-and-coming athletes that included the likes of veterans Kenneth Grace Ferrera and six-time titlist Narcisa Atienza.
The soft-spoken Teodosio, who trained with the rest of the national team pool in Baguio, admitted that winning the first of her three throwing events came as a surprise especially that she’s expecting Fil-foreigners to join the fray.
“Di ko naman po inexpect kasi akala ko may fil-foreigner sana po. Mas mataas pa po yung ineexpect ko akala ko may mag 40,” said Teodosio, who actually breached the 38 meter mark twice – the highest of which just a shade under her personal best 39.66.
“Okay naman po. Comfortable na rin po tapos nasa peak na rin po yung conditioning,” she said about her performance as she continues to vie for a SEA Games spot in shot put on Thursday and her pet event hammer throw on Saturday.
Chrizzel Lanipa of University of the Philippines, a 22-year-old up-and-coming thrower from Zamboanga, recorded 35.44m to bag the silver in her very first national open appearance while Ferrer copped the bronze after tallying 34.03m.
Also bagging the second gold for Ilagan City was Jocelle Lesti who ruled the girls under-18 category in shot put. Lesti threw 8.35m, besting Kelly Mariz Tagacay (7.74) of NPAA-Tuguegarao City and teammate Jhennah Mae Guillermo (7.66).
Janine Ladina of University of Baguio also nabbed the gold mint in the women’s under-20 javelin throw event with 36.85m to beat Diagyan National High School’s Janella Salaan (21.25) and Team Baguio’s Sharlyn Murillo (18.07).
Malaysia also copped its first gold with Mark Paladius tallying 6.84m in the Men’s under-20 long jump, defeating Renchard Pagulayan (6.8) of UST and Alvin Lopez Jr. (6.75) of La Paz Tracksters.