Rookies Mervin Guarte of San Sebastian and Isidro del Prado, Jr. continued to perform impressively as the two unleashed record-breaking performances in Day 3 of athletics action in Season 85 of the NCAA at the Rizal Memorial Track and Field Oval.
Guarte, 17, swooped down on the strong challenge to capture the 1,500-meter gold medal in 3:58.69 while re-arranging the 4:06.08 record of Mapua’s Rene Lardera he set last season.
It was the third straight gold and the same number of record-breaking feat by the Calapan, Oriental Mindoro native after he stamping his class in the 3,000m steeplechase and 800m days ago.
“I’m happy to win again, I hope I could win a fourth in the 5,000m tomorrow (today),” said Guarte, who is emerged to prominence after storming to a pair of golden efforts in last year’s Palarong Pambansa in Tacloban City, Leyte, in Filipino.
Del Prado, for his part, made up for his heartbreaking defeat in the 100m by topping the 400m in 49.02, which was also a new record as he shattered the old mark of 49.72 registered by Mapua’s Alejan Edgardo last year.
The records of Guarte and del Prado were just a few that were reset in this event organized by Management Committee chair Jose Mari Lacson of San Beda and deputy chair Frank Gusi of San Sebastian.
Raian Espada of San Sebastian and Joey Molenilla of Letran reigned supreme in the junior and senior divisions of the 400m hurdles, both record breakers.
Espada timed in 58.80 to top the high school event while eclipsing the two-year-old mark of 59.12 set by Letran’s Irvin Fabellon while Molenilla clocked 55.49 to rule the seniors division and smashed the three-year-old record of Mapua’s Joemary Padilla.
It was the second mint copped by Espada, who swamped the opposition in the 400m with the best time of 52.46.
Ferdinand Corpuz gave San Sebastian another reason to celebrate as it snared the 1500m juniors gold in 4:15.55 while Melbert Diones gave Jose Rizal its first gold with a victory in the triple jump with 14.09m.
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