Bacolod Tay Tung High School athletics’ standout Mary Anthony Diesto successfully defended her long jump gold medal in girls’ 14-15 years old as teammate from Bacolod City team Errick Empio dominated the boys’ 14-15 110m hurdles in the Philippine Olympic Committee-Philippine Sports Commission Batang Pinoy 2012 Visayas leg at the Leyte Sports Development Center in Tacloban City.

Also hoisting the banner for the Negros Occidental delegates was young boxer Mario Bautista Jr., who advanced to the next round with a victory in the schoolboys’ light pinweight category.

After a golden harvest from the swimming pool on Wednesday, the Negrense athletes took the backseat as Mary Flor Diaz of Zamboanga City scored a major victory in weightlifting yesterday.

The first cousin of two-time Olympian, Hidilyn Diaz, Mary Flor lifted 42 kilograms in snatch and 55 kg in clean and jerk for a 97-kg total to claim the girls 40-kg category gold medal. Teammate Ma. Dessa Delos Santos took silver with a 37-47-84 lift.

Diaz’ classy performance earned Zamboanga its second gold in the tournament after Margareth Colonia ruled the girls above-44 kg class with a 50-61-111 lift. Another Zamboanguena lifter, Patricia Nina Gregorio, came in second in the event posting 48-58-106.

Also a double gold winner in the Philippine National Games and silver winner in the Palarong Pambansa, Diaz is bannering her team's 11-man weightlifting squad in the weeklong meet in Tacloban for 15-year-olds and younger.

Bohol also grabbed a piece of weightlifting spotlight when Ma. Paula Lanit and Elien Rose Perez ruled their respective events. Lanit, 12, raised 25-32-57 for the girls' 36kg gold, while Perez had 50-61-111 for the girls' 44kg diadem.

Leyte Sports Academy flexed its muscles in track and field, taking nine gold medals, four from the boys and girls relay events.

LSA's Karen Janario clocked 20.7 seconds to land the girls 13-under 100-meter hurdles, while teammate Melissa Escoton timed 16.9 seconds to rule the girls 14-15 division. The hosts also annexed the golds in 1,500m run events with Aldrin Hermosilla winning the boys 13-under, Feiza Jane Lenton in the girls 13-under, and Lyra Baytan in the girls 14-15 category.

In tennis, top seed Janna Marie Pages of Cebu City downed Ma. Delrose Duran of Leyte, 8-6, to barge into the girls singles finals. She will go up against Mary Joy Calapre of Maasin City who advanced via an 8-5 win over Shyne Villareal of Cebu City.

At the Capitol Gym, Mandaue brought four boxers into the semifinals led by Jomar Caspe who defeated Domingo Oldem of Northern Samar on points in the Kids antweight.

Also qualifying for the next round are his teammates Romel Tunacao in Schoolboys light paperweight; Marco Pomar in Schoolboys paperweight; and Rhezon Tarona who edged Jeramil Rafaeles of Leyte A via RSC in the Schoolboys light pinweight.

Also advancing were Diether Casida of Leyte in Kids antweight, Leo Domingo Napuli of Maasin City in Schoolboys paperweight, John Lloyd Transporte of Cebu City in Schoolboys paperweight, Augustine Chinedo and Augustine Nworji of Leyte B in Schoolboys light pinweight.*with a report from PNA

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