San Sebastian rookie Mervin Guarte unleashed a pair of record-breaking runs to grab the spotlight in the 85th NCAA athletics tournament at the Rizal Memorial Track and Field Oval
Guarte, a double-gold medal winner in last year’s Palarong Pambansa in Tacloban, Leyte, won the 3000-meter steeplechase gold in a time of 9 minutes and 33.22 seconds, or almost half a minute faster than the three-year-old mark of 10:06.60 set by Mapua’s Jerome Berredo.
It was the second gold for Guarte who is from Calapan, Oriental Mindoro after he earlier ruled the 800m in Monday’s opener in 1:53.4, which also set a new meet mark replacing the 1:58.00 set by San Sebastian’s Jay-R Rivera three seasons back.
“I know I’m going to do good in this tournament because I’ve been really training hard since I started college,” said Guarte, a Hotel and Restaurant Management freshman.
It was actually the Stags’ third gold in the seniors’ division after unheralded Rolando de Ramos, Jr. came from behind to stun neophyte but heavy favorite Isidro del Prado, Jr. of St. Benilde in the 100m in 11.17, a fraction of a second faster than the latter’s 11:20.
Letran’s Archand Christian Bagsit took the bronze in 11:31 in the NCAA athletics event organized by Management Committee chair Jose Mari Lacson of this year’s host San Beda and deputy chair Frank Gusi of incoming season host San Sebastian.
San Sebastian’s high school team was also on track to top the meet as it snared a couple of mints including one by Fernando Corpuz in the 800m where he clocked 2:02.82 to eclipse the two year record of 2:93.41 registered by del Prado.
CSB-La Salle Greenhills’ Jasper Tanhueco joined the elite record-breaking group as he rearranged the 11.67 junior record in the 100m by Daryl Ceballos of San Sebastian by clocking 11:19, way ahead of San Sebastian’s John Willie Jules (11.79) and teammate Benjamin Cruz (11:81).
Meanwhile, Letran high school basketball standout Glenn Khobuntin overpowered the field by winning the shot putt with a heave of 12.06m.
San Sebastian’s Ivan Marc Mercado and Val Christian Capacia finished second and third with throws of 10.81m and 10.20m.
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