Indang, Cavite – Cadets from the Philippine Navy reigned supreme with 20 golds, as the Philippine Army and Air Force settled with five apiece at the close of the medal-rich swimming competition of the 2024 Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) Games National Championships here.
De La Salle-Taft standout Kirk Dominique was the most bemedalled with five golds and a bronze and DLSU-Taft teammate Kayla Janelle Chua also got five gold medals, and Marvin Iguidez of JBLFMU Maritime School in Iloilo City added three to lift the Naval forces at the top of the standing.
Also contributing to the Navy are Shayne Francine Lugay with four mints and a silver, and Althea Gem Villapena got two golds, two silvers, and two bronzes at the Olympic size swimming pool inside the De Lalle University in Dasmarinas City.
Philippine Navy and Philippine Army clashed at the resumption of the athletics event of the ROTC Games, a brainchild of Sen. Tolentino held in coordination with the AFP, Department of National Defense, Commission on Higher Education (CHED), and Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) headed by chairman Richard Bachmann.
Navy cadet Guhan Garcia outraced Rome Jhed Ojeno for the second time to claim the men’s 100-m dash, his second gold following his victory in the 200-m run (21.6) against Ojeno on Wednesday.
The 20-year-old Garcia, a second-year Bachelor’s in Physical Education student at Virgen Milagrosa University Foundation in San Carlos City, Pangasinan timed 10.7 seconds while Airman cadet Ojeno of UNO-R in Bacolod settled with 10.8.
Army’s Janice Patdu of Don Honorio Ventura State University in Bacolor, Pampanga come back strong in the women’s century dash to notch her first gold in 12.9 seconds. She won the silver in the 200-m run (26.8) on Wednesday.
Another Army cadet, Joven Makilan of Colegio de Sta. Ana de Victorias in Negros Occidental braved the sudden downpour to rule the men’s 800-m run in 2:01.2, while Navy’s Ana Marie Eugenio of DLSU-Taft dominated the women’s 800-m run in 2:22.5.
Polytechnic University of the Philippines student Divine Bacus also an Army cadet brought home the gold in the women’s shot-put in 9.68-meter and Navy’s Mark Lester Escullar of Bicol Merchant Marine College won the men’s shot-put with a heave of 10.28 meters.
In taekwondo at the City College of Tagaytay gym, Army cadets Kiana San Juan, Roanne Manalansan, and Jee Ann Raambonanza of Tarlac State University claimed the gold in the women’s team event. Edrian Anselmo Campus of RTU-Boni Campus took the gold in the fin weight division.
