Last Updated on March 4, 2023 by Andrew Pirie
2014 Weekly Relays September
Week 9 (07.09.14) Invitational ‘A’ Races
Firstly, please note that all entries/registration to the PSC-PATAFA Weekly Relay officially closed on August 31. And we will not be taking any new entries. The registration period IS June until August 31 for 2014 Weekly Relays.
Below is a list of the Invitational A races. I have put runners who are unsure about their participation but haven’t pulled out in the outside lanes.To avoid reshuffling the lane assignments. Therefore, we will leave the lanes empty. Please confirm availability before Friday if listed here.
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BANO going for SEA Games Qualifying Mark
National Games Champion Junrey Bano. Who finished just outside a medal at the 2011 SEA Games, will appear when he finished fourth. Bano needs to clock 51.5 (+.24 conversion) 51.74 to go below the SEA Games bronze mark of 51.79. At the National Games, Bano ran his season’s best of 52.11 after Eric Cray strained his hamstring in the heats. In Vietnam, Open Cray and Bano got 1-2 for the Philippines with 52.29 and 52.61. The Duo is also 1-2 in South East Asia in 2014.
Cray, who will be focussing on Asian Games, is missing from the race. So is Patrick Unso, the #3 for the year sustaining a hamstring strain a few weeks ago at this meet. In addition, Clinton Kingsley Bautista opted out of the Invitational A and will appear in a later heat.
The 30-year-old Bano. He is at the twilight of his career and coming back into some good shape after a troubling 2013. Will be up against a set of younger opponents NCAA Champion Francis Medina, and Palaro Champion Jaime Mejia. And UAAP Silver medalist Gerald Morales.
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WOMEN’S RACE IS FAIRLY OPEN
With the older athletes who dominated the sport in the past years, Josie Malacad, Keizel Pedrina, and Carmela Leonardo faded out of the picture. A new younger set of girls will do battle in the 400 Hurdles. While it’s unlikely they will reach the elusive 59.95 standards required for SEA Games, it will be interesting to see who emerges as the country’s next 400 Hurdler.
This years fastest is Michelle P. Loterte of UST, the National 100 Hurdles Champion who got third at the UAAP behind Jenny Rosales, and Carmela Leonardo has the best time in the field at 1.03.04. However, the strongest this year is National Junior Champion Josefina P. Baloyloy. Also featured is Marilyn Avila, the PNG Champion, and the 2013 UAAP Silver medalist Jayed Penarubia.
Jose Unso, who won the last invite meet in 21.9, goes in as the favorite. He will be up against NCAA Record Holder Anfernee Lopena and National Junior Champion Romnick Nor. Also in the race will be UAAP JR Record Holder Jaime Mejia and NCAA Bronze medalist Peter Padal.
At that meet, the Womens 200m will see the clash between UAAP Record Holder Jenny Rosales and the silver medalist Eloiza Luzon. Rosales won the first invite meet in 25.3, and Luzon won the second with a new personal best of 25.4.
A splendid lineup may also feature Karen Janario, the 15-year-old National Junior Champion, who we are awaiting confirmation. In addition, Jinky Obanon ran a PB of 57.7 last week, Uni Games silver medalist Glaiza Salcedo and UAAP Bronze medalist Neslee Angco.
Week 9 Weekly Relays (07.09.14): young Medina impresses
The end of the third cycle of the weekly relays drew close in the first week of September. It was a string of good performances, but the emergence of a promising young hurdler who won the 400m Hurdles Invitational ‘A’ Race added some fire to the meet.
YOUNG HURDLER LEAVES HIS MARK
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Francis Medina of UPHR, the NCAA Champion (54.40) who Leyte Coach Trece trains, took full advantage of a field missing some of the bigger names of Philippine Athletics to win in 54.1, the 18-year-old who is preparing to make his debut for the Philippines at the 2014 ASEAN School Games in Marikina later this year, held off a neck to neck challenge the last 120m from NCAA Silver medalist Domingo Cabradilla of JRU (54.1 unofficial also PB), and Palaro Champion 17-year-old Jaime Mejia of UP (55.0 unofficial, who is also selected for ASEAN Schools in this event).
Mejia has a few caps for the Philippines, now running last year at the ASEAN Youth Champs in Thailand and Thailand Open.
The appearance of National Games Champion Junrey Bano of UST in a later heat, despite being invited to join the first heat, jogging to an easy win in 53.0 (unofficial). The relaxed hit out for the national champion was his first appearance at the weekly relays, and he will require a time of 51.79 to join SEA Games Champion Eric Cray at the SEA Games next June in Singapore.
The Invitational ‘A’ 400m Hurdles was won by Palaro and National Junior Champion Josefina Baloyloy of RTU (1:04.8 unofficial); in another heat National Games Champion Marilyn ‘Daffy’ Avila of FEU struggled in pain with a sore hamstring to win her heart. Both Baloyloy and Avila have been selected to represent the Philippines at the ASEAN School Games at the end of the year.
It would be Daffy’s second appearance for the Philippines has won the Junior Gold Medal last year at the Thailand Open. Baloyloy, on the other hand, would be making her debut.
Baloyloy, for her efforts, was awarded an Academy of Sports T-shirt from pinoyathletics.info.
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NERI looms at possible UAAP Record
In the Mens 800m, it was Elbren Neri (UST) clocked 1:52.8, which puts him in contention for the long-standing UAAP Record of Nelbert Ducusin (FEU) (1:54.1) in December. Neri won comfortably over Jomar Angus.
*Official times are hopefully available by Monday.
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Extreme headwinds in the 200m Dash hampered fast times.
Strong headwinds hampered fast performances today in the 200m Dash.
The 200m Mens Invitational A only had 5 starters, with Jose Unso and Rey Aldrin, who won the last 2 editions not starting. NCAA Record Holder Anfernee Lopena CSB won 22.2 (unofficial) from NCAA 100 Bronze medalist Rodquem Maullon of Arellano JRU’s Pearnel Lobos. With Peter Padal, the NCAA Silver medalist 4th, and the National Games Junior Champion Romnick Nor of UST 5th.
It just seemed that Maullon attacked the curve more aggressively, with Lopena in Lane 5, closing the stagger on Nor in Lane 6 after 30m, and then cruising the rest of the way.
The Invitational Women only had five entries. With Glaiza Salcedo not participating and Neslee Angco missing the first heat and resorting to heat 2.
UAAP Record Holder Jenyrose Rosales of UE won in tough conditions (25.3 unofficial), and she pulled away from UST Eloiza Luzon (25.8 unofficial) and Jinky Obanon of RTU.
Meanwhile, the country’s most promising young athlete Ernest John Obiena, 19, cleared 5.00m again to win the Junior Boys Division.
*Will check the official results on Monday.
Weekly Relays Week 10 (14.09.14) – Noli !!!!!! & Jennyrose wins rain-soaked 100m Dash
In its 10th Week, the 2014 Weekly Relays yielded decent sprint performances, albeit still hand-timed in the 100m Dash. Despite the rain reducing the attendance in the kid’s division to almost nil. And a lot of the better athletes stay indoors. there were still eight heats in the mens 100m and four in the womens.
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Jenny Rosales storms away from the field in the Women’s Invitational ’A.’
Despite the rain and depleted entries, Jenny Rose Rosales had her third straight win in the 100 Meters at the weekly relays, again clocking 12.3. Rosales pulled about a stride away from the FEU girls halfway mark and extended it to three strides at the end.
Gasping for 2nd and 3rd places were the FEU teenage duo of Marimar Amarga (12.6) and Christine Del Rio (12.7).
The UAAP Record Holder is coached by one of the most be-medalled athletes in SEA Games history, Elma Muros, at UE. Rosales made her candidacy known for the 4×100 Relay Team at the next SEA Games by taking a lackluster field. After the other top local sprinter/jumper, Katherine Khay Santos, could not start due to flu, several athletes decided to stay inside due to the weather.
Rosales 2012 UAAP Mvp with Coaches Jojo and Elma Muros Posadas. Rosales’s 400m time set 3 records at the UAAP. National, National Junior, and UAAP.
‘A’ win for Noli Torres
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The Invitational field was won by PRISAA Champion and National Pool member Noli Torres who clocked 10.8, supporting the weekly relay serie. Torres is coached by former SEA Games National Sprinter/Decathlete Arnold Villarube.
Running in a pair of shoes he had borrowed before the race. The 22-year-old, the bronze medalist at the National Games, got off well and held off the fast-finishing teenager Rodquem Maullon, 19 of Arellano.
Maullon, who had won the last Invitational A Race, also clocked 10.8. In third was NCAA 200m Silver Medalist Peter Pol Padal of JRU in 11.0, followed by RTU’s Allan Plana, who clocked a new PB of 11.0. (hand times 10.71,10.79,10.91,10.92). It marked the first time during the weekly relays that more than one person clocked below 11 (albeit hand-timed) in the same race for 2013 and 2014.
PATAFA Relays Week 10 (21.09.14) Invitational A: Guarte vs. Verano
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1500M Show-Down: The Top 2 in South East Asia go head-to-head
It is an interesting race with 3 of the 4 athletes who have surpassed the SEA Games bronze participating. Two old foes from the NCAA Days, Mervin Guarte, National Record Holder, and 2011 SEA Games Silver medalist, are up against Roldan Verano of JRU. Guarte, who boasts a personal best of 3:47.65 from the 2011 SEA Games and leads the SEA Rankings in 2014 with 3:55.10, will be up against the rising Roldan Verano #2 South East Asia 2014, who reduced his best times from 3:59.74 to 3:55.3 within a few short months. Guarte himself reduced his best from 3:57 to 3:47.65 leading up to the 2011 SEA Games.
Verano, a full-time employee of PLDT, is the PNG Bronze medalist and also has surpassed the Gold Medal Standard of the SEA Games. Verano’s training partner Rudyfer Hernandez who has improved rapidly this year will also race.
Also in the field will be Gilbert Rutaquio, 17, who is suiting up for the ASEAN School Games in December.
The Following has been nominated to the lineup for the Main Race of the 1500m. To prevent overcrowding, only a maximum of 15 will be racing in the first heat.
400M Fields strong despite UST rest weeks
Despite a depleted field due to UST taking rest weeks, it looks like a decent field for the 400m. In the Womens, Jenny Rose Rosales, the UAAP Record Holder, leads the field. Rosales has won the last 3 A Races, improving her time rapidly from 1.00.0, 58.8, 56.2, nearing her career-best of 54.65.
Looking to join Jenny in the SEA Games relay squad, and on the improvement is 19-year-old Jinky Obanon, who clocked a PB of 57.7 last 400m. A time of 55.9 is required for Obanon to join the relay squad, which also would feature Fil-Heritage National and Junior Record Holder Zion Corrales-Nelson (54.18) and National Games 100/200 Champion Princess Joy Griffey (53.5 split/55.96 PB).
Also featured will be Rosales training partner, UAAP Silver Medalist Neslee Angco, and PNG 400 Hurdles Champion Marylyn ‘Daffy’ Avila.
In the Mens 400m, Rey Aldrin, who won the last three editions of the invite series, is taking a rest. His teammate Harry Diones, who had a surprise win over Aldrin in a new best time, will start, and hopefully, PNG 400 Hurdles Champion Junrey Bano, the fastest man in the field 48.95 this year and a PB of 48.26. NCAA Bronze medalist Peter Padal and UAAP Bronze medalist Gab Soriano are also featured.
Hurdles Fields
A junior hurdle invitational race has been introduced. Quite a drained field in the Mens with National Record Eric Cray based in the states, Junior Record Holder Pach Unso recovering from an injury, and National Games Champion Clinton Kingsley Bautista opting not to run in the first heat. Palaro Champion Jaime Mejia, Palaro Bronze medalist Tercero, NCAA Silver medalist Cabradilla will match up in the Invitational A Race.
While in the womens SEA Games, Silver Medalist in Heptathlon Narcisca Atienza has been invited, as have Batang Pinoy Champion Karen Janario and Palaro Champion Melissa Escoton.
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Andrew was elected Vice President of the Association of Track and Field Statisticians in 2020 after being a member for 7 years.
He has worked as a PSC Consultant and Research Assistant from 2013-2015, Consultant, and Sprint Coach at Zamboanga Sports Academy from 2015-2017. And Currently is Consultant Coach with VMUF 2021-
Current editor and chief of Pinoyathletics.info, and has recently done consultancy work for Ayala Corp evaluating the Track and Field Program.
Coaches Sprints, Middle and Jump events he is Level 3 Athletics Australia Coaching Certification in Sprints and Hurdles.
Currently working towards a Masters Degree in Education.
He can be contacted on [email protected]
You can find more information on Coaching here
http://www.pinoyathletics.info/coaching-2/