General Santos made a big a splash in medal-rich swimming event and continued to tow the field even as reigning champion Zamboanga City sizzled in wrestling, judo and karatedo in the Mindanao Qualifying Games of the third Philippine Olympic Festival at the Mindanao Civic Center in Tubod, Lanao del Norte yesterday.

 

Regiena Astrid Quesada and Maria Kiesha Mercado scooped four gold medals apiece to highlight General Santos’ 13-gold siege at the pool, increasing its total gold-silver-bronze haul to 73-39-2 in the event serving as an elimination for the National Championship in Manila this October.

 

Quesada, 14, reigned supreme in the 100-meter backstroke, 200m and 400m individual medley, then teamed up with Pamela Grace Dacera, Irish Katherin Cruz and Mary Grace Garay for the 200m freestyle relay victory.

 

Mercado, a top student at Shalum Crest Wizard Academy back home, triumphed in the 50m free, 100m free and 100m back before she anchored her 200m freestyle relay team to victory.

 

Zamboanga staged a rally with 17 golden efforts in wrestling, 12 in judo, the same number of mints in pool competitions and four in karatedo in the event backed by The Philippine STAR, Globe, ACCEL, Pagcor, Summit Mineral Water, AMA Computer College, Negros Navigation and Creativity Lounge.

 

Christian Jude Subibi accounted for four golds, Mary Angelic Saavedra three and Anjiyah Gimena and Alessandro Rey Saavedra two apiece in swimming.

 

Subibi topped the 200m butter fly, 200m and 400m IM and was the lead tanker in the 200m freestyle relay while Saavedra won the 100m back, 400m IM and 200m fly.

 

Gimena ruled the 400m IM and 800m free while Saavedra triumphed in 100m free and 200m IM.

 

Zamboanga drew judo victories from Alvin Mendoza (jr. men’s -55kg), Frederick Tormon (-60kg), Tracy Agramon (73kg), Larry Anthony Gutang (-81kg), Joanna Lalane Destora (jr. women’s -45kgs), Leila Ann Tuazon (-57kg), Marie Jalon (-70kg) and Emmy Lou San Diego (-78kg).

 

Jesselle Ignacio (women 51kg), Marlou Onrubia (men’s 46kg), Mario Gacoma (50kg), Jhonard Eliuterio (54kg), Restie Terio (jr. men’s 50kg), Jhonny Morte (jr. men’s 55kg), Jailen Toribio (jr. men’s 60kg), Ron Jhon Sarao (sr. men’s 60kg) and Noel Ampal (sr. men’s 84kg) delivered the wrestling wins.

 

In karatedo, Heidi Chloe Angeles (girls’ 10-11 kata), Marie Grace Cruz (girls’ 16-25 kata), Ray Carlo Silva (boys’ 8-9 kata) and Abdul Azis Buran (boys’ 12-13 kata) scored emphatic wins.

 

Zamboanga moved two rungs up to second overall with a 43-gold, 26-silver and nine-bronze medal haul, hardly missing the three golds stripped from Radjeev Tahil due to age violation.

 

Tahil was disqualified because he competed in the event for 17 years old despite the fact that he’s turning 18 this October.

 

The three golds were awarded to General Santos’ Domingo Cabradilla, who finished second to Tahil in all three events.

 

Another Zamboanga athlete, Rexlester Binosa, was also stripped of his 100m dash gold after officials found out he was already 20 years old competing in an event.

 

Cabradilla also got the gold to hike his total to four.

 

Cagayan De Oro bolstered its overall bid after improving to 41-26-26, propped up by its 22 golds in archery, three in karatedo and 11 in swimming. Cagayan De Oro also scored victories in team events after clobbering Tacurong, 6-1, for the gold in softball while retaining the basketball crown with a 99-87 victory over host Lanao Del Norte in a rain-delayed game.