Dapitan City — The 2011 Palarong Pambansa will have its final day today with Region 7 poised to improve its string of fourth place finishes.
As of 9:50 p.m. yesterday, Region 7 was at third place with 240.50 points, followed closely by Region 4-A, which had 231 points.
Perennial champion National Capital Region (NCR) still leads the rankings with 344.16 points but is being threatened by Region 6, which is at second place with 328 points. Completing the top six were Region 10 (116 points) and Region 12 (112).
Region 7 got 148.50 points in the secondary division while the elementary athletes donated 92 points.
Region 7 will still be competing in the few remaining events today, which will be crucial in determining the final rankings.
football
Region 7 could firm up its hold of third or possibly catch up with Region 6 in second place as its elementary football team will be playing in a championship match against Region 10 today. Gold in football is worth 25 points and silver 15.
Region 7 earned a trip to the gold medal round after it nipped Region 6, 4-2, in their semifinal duel yesterday. Region 10 dumped NCR in the other semis duel, 2-1, to set a championship date with Region 7.
Also, the basketball elementary team will be playing for bronze, which is worth 10 points. Fourth placers will get five points.
John Godfrey Seno will compete in a championship match in the elementary boys tennis against a Region 6 opponent. A gold in the event is worth seven points and a silver, three.
Region 7 kept its hopes of salvaging a better finish this year alive when it won at least seven golds yesterday—including two in secondary boxing (see separate story) and two in tennis.
Sally Mae Siso and Ana Espinosa bagged a gold in the secondary girls doubles event, where they beat their Region 12 opponents, 8-2. The elementary girls team got another gold by winning the team event.
Jimi Campomanes won a gold in the floor routine and added a bronze in the vault routine of the men’s artistic gymnastics.
REVENGE
The Central Visayas volleyball elementary girls exacted sweet revenge after pulling off a 25-13, 25-14 blasting of Region 6 in the final. Region 7 had won three straight titles in the Palaro before it was dethroned by the same Region 6 last year.
“We used that loss as our motivation. Revenge was on our minds since the start of the competition,” said Vilma Veloso, coach of the Catmon Elementary School-manned team.
Determined to bounce back from that loss, the team competed in the Shakey’s V-League to further sharpen its arsenal. The squad was the lone elementary team to compete in the tournament.
The elementary boys, however, was unlucky as it failed to win a medal. The secondary girls settled for fourth, while the secondary boys won a bronze.
TENNIS GOLD
In the secondary boys tennis, the tandem of Dan Cinco and Janel Troy Pintor won gold by trouncing their Region 10 opponents, 8-2.
Fritz Zatera bowed to his Region 10 opponent and failed to win a medal. The secondary team bagged a silver in the overall championship with Region 10 winning the gold.
Sustaining their successful campaign were archers Sebastian Teves, Nino Montejo, Romeo Betache and Churt Lozano, who scored 195 points to win the gold medal in the secondary team competition.
The girls team composed of Crizabelle Merto, who has amassed five golds in the annual meet, Kiara Katada, Schentitte Tingas and Princess Moya pocketed a bronze.
It was possible that some gold medals won by Region 7 yesterday were not yet included in the rankings. Tallying of points at the documentation office was still on going as of this writing.