UB red amazons, PMA novices steal show in TKD nat’lcompetions

By Isagani S. Liporada

MANILA - Over 1,500-taekwondo jins from various schools all over the country participated in two days of grueling skirmishes pitting Baguio’s finest against the rest of the country’s best.

Six overall trophies for six categories and one of them found its way back to Baguio.

The University of Baguio (UB) Ladies Taekwondo Team last week carted away five of six gold medals to bag overall championship honors in the junior women’s division of the 2011 Smart National Interschool Taekwondo Championships, Sept. 24-25, at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium here.

Led by lone Baguio lady rep to the National Juniors Taekwondo Team SuzzaneGlehnCaslangen, the ‘red warriors’ quest for supremacy was virtually unmolested as each player displayed kyorugi (sparring) maturity well ahead of their ages.

In the end, Angelica Joyce Gaw, ShanelleRomuar, Caslangen, Brighty Salazar, Tiffany Delizo, and Cyndi Tumlayen all stood at the highest point of the winners’ ladder bringing honor not only to UB, but for the City of Baguio as well.

The lady-jins are trained by Baguio Defenders Taekwondo Do Jang (BDTDJ) and UB varsity coach Arnold Oglayon.

Oglayon joined hands in coaching other Baguio-based jins with coach Melvin Morte of Ultimate Fitness Center (UFC) Taekwondo Gym and Mike Velo of Bravehearts Taekwondo Gym.

Meantime, novice jins (yellow and blue belts) from the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) likewise showed a glimpse of things to come bagging the most medals in beginners sparring with 5-golds and 2-silvers, and a lone bronze mint.

As of press-deadline, data available merely showed incomplete names of the gold winners which include cadets 1st Class Esmeria, 2nd Class Bandilla, 2nd Class Crisostomo, 3rd Class Tulang, and 4th Class Corpuz.

The silver finishers are cadets 3rd Class Regalado and Mateo; while the lone third place winner is cadet 4th Class Ymbong.

Last year, UB took home three of six overall championship trophies. This year, UB settled for 1st runner up in the grade school boys, 1st runner up in grade school girls, and 2nd runner up in the junior men’s divisions, vowing to retake overall supremacy in the November 2011 National Inter-age Championships in Manila.

In junior men, national player Keno Anthony Mendoza and Rencer Shane Lavestre salvaged 2-golds for UB. Teammates Tristan Cayago and Cromwell King Quiambao settled for bronze.

In elementary boys, UB’s Timothy Castillo, Elijah Butac, John RembrantJuquiana, Randolf Gonzales, and Troy Cayago all settled for silvers while IrvenDhaleLangaoen, John Manuel Raymundo, Clyde Benzon, Derik Logan Caslangen, Joshua Pasag, Cramer JurisQuiambao settled for third place honors.

For elementary girls, UB’s YenyenMagalong and Paola Rose Salazar fell a couple of kicks short and settled for second place while KrizelleYadao, Mary CenizaQuiambao, and Phoebie Kate De Guzman settled for third.

Faring well and bringing home honors for their respective schools are sparring gold medalists Benjamin Keith Sembrano of Baguio City National High School (BCNHS), AitanaFias-ilon of University of the Cordilleras, Marc Bayubay of Small World, and Christian Duntugan of Saint Louis University (SLU), DenszellAguilba (SLU Center), and Shane Jeremy Benavente of Special Education Center (SPED).

The silver medal winners include EironBiscocho of Bridges Learning Center and Xaphrine Rivera of SLU. Siblings Russel Ray Arugay, Roman Arugay Jr., and Raimee Rose Arugay, all of Itogon Central School likewise brought home silvers.

Bronze finishers on the other hand include JsaLyka Delos Reyes (BCHNS), Eli ThyronGayaso (Patriotic), JessaTumlayen (Benguet State), Josiah Pesew (SLU Center), Izech Brian Edwin (Good News Academy), Ivan Kiel Evangelista (Fort del Pilar Elem.), and Idan Josh Pagaduan (Doňa Aurora Elem.), Freddie Dongsino (Quirino Hill Elem.), and JayralDunuan (STILE Elem.)

Meantime in junior men poomsae (forms), Benjamin Daniel Sembrano of UB outpointed a fellow Baguio jin for the gold. AlfritzArevalo of SLU finished with silver.

Silver finishers from Baguio include Jonathan Rilloraza of SLU and Angelica Joyce Gaw of UB.

Tristan Dale Cayago, Cromwell King Quiambao, Tiffany Delizo (all of UB) and Shane Jeremy Benavente finished the battle of forms with a bronze mint each.