Dancesports athletes from Baguio and Benguet have clinched three gold and three silver medals in the 25th Philippine Dancesports Federation first quarterly ranking and competition on April 1 and 2 at the Philsport Arena, Pasig City.
Two of the gold medals were courtesy of young Baguio athletes Seth Matthew Bambalan and Maezyl Jessa Fernando in the juvenile Latin American discipline 2A while Jessica Marie Ogbinar and Daniel Carl Frias topped the special event 1B.
The tandem of Bambalan and Fernando also won for the team one silver medal in the juvenile Latin American discipline 2C, as they also finished as runners-up in the juvenile modern standard discipline 2C and juvenile modern standard discipline.
Ogbinar and Frias also snagged fifth place in the grade D Latin American discipline then sixth place in the special event 1C.
Baguio Dancesports Team’s Mark Leonard Arbella topped the solo junior jive, beating all 31 competitors for the gold medal. He also placed sixth in the solo junior cha cha cha.
Mickhaella Angelaine Caluza also won a silver medal in the cha cha cha and jive category while she finished fifth in the solo junior rhumba.
Benguet Dancesports Team Mico Dumalos and Mary Luz It-itan, meanwhile, bagged a silver in the grueling grade C Latin, a step up from their previous bronze medal finish in last year’s national championship in the same category.
The duo also finished fifth in the Grade B Latin category, which is their first foray in the higher category.
Charibelle Pingawan and Jeffrey delos Reyes served as coaches for the Baguio team.
Pingawan also coached the Benguet Dancesports Team while Terrence Jeoffrey Soriano coached the TJS Dancesport team. – Ofelia C. Empian
