By ADRIAN STEWART CO
Iloilo City Sports Academy (ICSA) athletes showed their way during the 2022 Philippine Sports Commission’s Batang Pinoy, which closed on Wednesday afternoon, December 21, in Ilocos Sur.
The Ilonggo student athletes ended the five-day competition in seventh place overall in the medal tally with 35 medals — 12 golds, 10 silvers and 13 bronze medals. Baguio City emerged as the overall winner with a 29-27-35 haul.
Woodpusher Thea Grace Clar got a gold medal for ICSA with sister Mica in the 9-under girls’ team event. Thea also got two bronzes in the 9-under girls’ individual blitz and rapid categories, while Mica chipped in a silver in the individual event.
ICSA chess team’s Jay Emmanuel Sotaridona also snagged a gold medal in the boys’ chess blitz category, while Ilongga taekwondo jin Kristi Marie Siscar kicked a gold in girls’ black 10-11.
Meanwhile, the quartet of Kriztel Rhey Napallatan, Alice Villarina, Krizzia Nhay Lamanosa, and Angela Trina Amante bagged a silver medal in the girls 4×50 freestyle relay event.
Napallatan personally also captured a silver medal for ICSA in the 100-meter girls’ breast stroke category as John Robert Limjuco ended with a silver medal in the boys’ badminton event.
On the other hand, Iloilo City’s Maria Louisse Crisselle Alejado clinched her second Batang Pinoy 2022 silver medal in the girls’ road race for 13 years old and below. She also had a silver in the girls’ 13-and-below cycling event earlier in the competition.
Alejano settled for the road race silver medal after submitting a time of 58:17.966, behind Caloocan’s Maritanya Krog, who swept the girls’ cycling event with her 58:16.725.
Team Capiz also took home two gold medals on the final day of the competition, with Carille Jeannine Diestro topping the pre-teen girls’ 10-12 online tungal event as Reiner James Vidal also ended with gold in boys’ table tennis singles.
Negros Occidental’s Victorias City-native Cejay Murillo finished on top in the boys’ 2000-meter steeplechase event as Aklan’s Mae Jizmundo ruled the junior girls’ 13-15 online pencak silat and Antique’s Honey Mendoza netted a gold in online taekwondo event./ASC, WDJ