• Negrense Runners to Crowd 32nd Milo Marathon Nat’l Finals
• Unbeaten SJI White, MLBC-Stallions Meet on Sunday
• Bethany Gelle Sweeps First Round; PRAC Wins
  

Negrense Runners to Crowd 32nd Milo Marathon Nat’l Finals

Negrense runners, who topped their respective provincial elimination rounds are expected to crowd for the crown when the 32nd Milo Marathon Grand National final will blasts off on Sunday, November 30, at Rizal Park in Manila.

It will be a battle royale as former Milo Marathon champions will also see action in this lung-busting 42.K distance running to grab the top prize of P75, 000.00.
Negrense runners have all the chances after topping one after the other the provincial elimination held recently in Western Visayas.

At least 10 of them will barged into the finals on Sunday, including the women’s runner who also qualify in the provincial elimination. At least three top runners in provincial elimination will qualify for the grand final.

But some of the Negrense runners will vie in the other categories, like the 21-K for women and 10 and 5-K for men and women.

Eric Panique of Himamaylan City topped the Bacolod Leg elimination, Anthony Baviera in Iloilo and Cadiz City’s Rene Desuyo defended his provincial elimination in Roxas City. Other runners from Negros Occidental expected to participate are twin brothers Rommel and Ruel Hulleza; women runners Mary Jean Caporas, Ailyn Grace Salas, Irene Apuhin and many other s will also join the national final.

Former National Milo Marathon champion Julius Sermona of Brgy. Libacao, Himamaylan City will also join the event after topping the La Union Leg Sermona ruled the national Milo Marathon in 2006 after topping the Bacolod Leg.

The event will renew rivalries of the country’s top runners; most of them were members of the RP Team.

Defending champion Cresen-ciano Sabal will be challenged by former champions Eduardo Buenavista, Allan Ballester, Roy Vence and Sermona in the men’s division and other provincial qualifiers.

Flordeliza Carreon is also defending her title against Jhoan Banayag, Liza Yambao, Estella Mamac-Diaz, Ailene Tolentino, Maricel Maquilan, Ellen Tolentino, Cecile Faith Topia, Hazel Madamba, Christy Sevilleno, Mona Liza Ambasa, Merlita Arias and Apuhin in the women’s division.

Among them Vence, has the most number of victories with six title in 1993, ’94, ’98, ’99, and 2004. He is also a member of the RP Team that participate in the 2001 Southeast Asian Games in Malaysia.

Buenavista, who ruled the Tarlac Leg this year, however, hold the best time of 2:18.45 seconds eclipsing the 2:28.02 he made during the 2002 Busan Asian games. He is also the holder of Philippine records in 3,000, 5,000 and 10, 000 meters. He is a member of the national track and field team since 2001 and saw action in the 2000 Sydney and 2004 Athens Olympics. Ballester, younger brother of two-time champion Wilfredo Ballester, won the event in 2000-2001. He won the Manila Leg to barge into the finals.

More than P700, 000 in prize money is at stake, including prizes for top finishers in the 10K, 5K and Kiddies 3K side events.

The 10K top finishers will also get P10,000 in both divisions while the champions in the 5K fun run will receive P2,500 each.*

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Unbeaten SJI White, MLBC-Stallions Meet on Sunday

St. John’s Institute White and Mike Lim Basketball Clinic-Stallions collide for leadership of the Panasonic Cup 10 Under at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, November 30 at Po Hang gym of Bacolod Tay Tung High School.

The Baby White Falcons with 5-0 record is favored to win over the Stallions (4-0) as last year’s holdover Miguel Jison, Rafael Puentevella, and Edgar Ducay have improved tremendously. Coach Jack Azucena’s charges pummeled Don Bosco Technical Institute, 104-25 and Saint Benilde School 83-31 last weekend. The Stallions, meanwhile, struggled but came out triumphant over Trinity Christian School, 34-29 and Tangub Christian Academy, 57-36.

SJI Blue (4-1) has overtaken leader University of St. La Salle Green (3-1) with a 55-51 victory as last year’s mythical team member Ralph Penuela scattered 22 points. The Baby Blue Falcons also nipped USLS White, 58-57 in overtime the next day as Penuela drilled in 26 markers. The Baby White Stingers have a chance to win but missed several tries at endgame the last one by 9-year old Tyrel Nifras.

La Salle-Whites, who beat High Desert/CNBC 57-22, are tied for 6th-7th place with TCS (2-2) while Bacolod Tay Tung High School rests at 5th place with 2-1 record. TCA is 8th with 1-2 slate, Don Bosco 9th (1-3), SBS 10th (1-4) and High School Desert/CNBC and Eliakim Learning Center remain winless.

In other games, SBS downed Eliakim, 50-43; DBTI stunned ELC, 49-36 and TCS overpowered High Desert/CNBC 53-23. BTTHS, whom four 10-Under cagers joined the Milo National Finals in Iloilo City, will take on Eliakim at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday and High Desert at 11:00 a.m. on Sunday.

Other matches on November 29 starting 8:00 a.m. are TCA-High Desert; SJI Blue vs. SJI Whitel TCS-SBS; USLS White-DBTI and USLS Green vs. Stallions.

On Sunday, November 30, Eliakim takes on SJI Blue; Don Bosco tests TCA; TCS challenges USLS Green and SBS tries to improve its record against USLS White.*

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Bethany Gelle Sweeps First Round; PRAC Wins

Never underestimate a small lineup. Alvin Auto Parts did and paid a price by losing to Bethany Gelle Trucking, 59-64 Wednesday night in the 1st Danilo Puzon Cup of the Basketball Unified Sports Group at Lopue’s South Square.

As the Truckers scored their third straight win in the quadrangular meet, guest Pueblo Rosario Athletic Club came in prepared and blasted Axial Engineering 74-54 with only 9 Waves in uniform. Bethany now leads with 3-0 slate as Axial, PRAC and Alvin are tied at 1-2 in BUS Group’s double round robin elimination, crossover semi and knockout final format.

Johnson Ciocon had only 13 points but the rest of the Truckers shared the offense while the trio of Bandoy Aliemo, Elbert Habaradas and Eugene Mojeño controlled the boards of putbacks and second chance points.

Biboy Java hit 15 and Rex Bayer added 12 but the rest of the Partsmen threw bricks after leading 41-38 at half. The Truckers played small as chosen by Alvin in the third quarter per tournament rule but the ply backfired as Nene Lapore, Raymundo Sapa, Jr and Johann Belandres outscored the Partsmen.

PRAC jumpstarted with a 46-30 lead at intermission and were never threatened as Ragie Sy drilled in 22, Noel Sause 18 and Spitfire Espina killed the Engineers with 14 mostly on fastbreaks. Vicente Plagata, Jr. struggled with 15 and Abet Jarder chipped in 10 for Bing Soyao’s charges who were brought caught napping at the start and never recovered the onslaught.

Wednesday’s schedule pits Bethany and Axial at 6:30 p.m. and PRAC tries to avenge its opening day loss to Alvin at 8:30.*

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