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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider Luzon devider Ilocos Norte mourns death of PH rising sprinter

Ilocos Norte mourns death of PH rising sprinter

Published Apr 29, 2026 11:07 pm
LAOAG CITY – The province of Ilocos Norte mourned the death of Mark Dave Nicolas, a Palarong Pambansa gold medalist from Piddig town and one of the country's rising stars in track and field.
Nicolas passed away on Wednesday at the age of 18. The cause of his death is yet to be disclosed.
“To the late, great Mark Dave, I’ll never forget seeing your mom’s face after you smashed the record at our home stadium during Ilocos Norte Palarong Pambansa 2025, when we hosted the event, and the prolonged mother-son embrace that touched all of our hearts,” said Ilocos Norte Vice Gov. Matthew Joseph Manotoc in a statement Wednesday afternoon.
Manotoc also paid tribute and extended condolences to the bereaved family of the sprinter.
"You’ve made us all proud, and your legacy will live on,” the vice governor said, as he vowed to ensure Nicolas’s family would be taken care of even after his passing.
Nicolas was an emerging sprinter, especially last year when he had a record-breaking performance in front of his hometown fans at the 2025 Palarong Pambansa held in this city.
Nicolas, a former Piddig National High School standout, also bagged two golds in the 400m and 4x400 relay and settled for silvers in 1500m and 4x100 relay.
Apart from his Palaro feat, Nicolas also won a silver medal in the 14th ASEAN Schools Games in the same year.
He also competed in the Philippine Athletics Open.
Sympathy from fans and the track and field community flooded social media following the death of Nicolas. (PNA)

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Ilocos Norte Mark Dave Nicolas Piddig Vice Gov. Matthew Manotoc
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