■ Ofelia C. Empian
Baguio City closed off the Cordillera Administrative Region Athletic Association (Caraa) 2024 Meet with a medal haul of 238 golds, 111 silvers, and 72 bronzes at the Apayao Eco-Tourism and Sports Complex in Payanan, Luna on April 15 to 19.
The perennial champion, dubbed “Baguio E-Lions”, ruled the elementary level with 85-35-19 medals, and the secondary events with 153-76-53 medals.
Maintaining its second-place finish is Apayao with 62-74-107 medals surpassing last year’s performance of 53-54-85 medals.
The Apayao Eagles were unstoppable in gymnastics and aero gymnastics, winning 28 gold medals in the elementary and secondary, as well as in chess and athletics as this year’s host.
Also retaining their rank in third place were the Benguet Stingers with 50-91-89 medals. Gold medals were courtesy of the sepak takraw elementary and secondary, wrestling, pencak silat, wushu, and the volleyball boys.
Despite this, the Stingers were the back-to-back champions in the para games winning 26-25-9 medals. They also topped the demonstration sports Muay Thai individual and pair events in various age brackets winning nine gold and eight silver medals.
Ifugao Builders jumped two places up to fourth place from sixth place last year, with 27-37-62 medals while on fifth place were the Abra Stallions with 16-32-48 medals, improving from seventh place finish last year.
From last place finish in 2023, the Kalinga Bulls improved to sixth place with 14-31-57 medals while the Tabuk City Brewers were on seventh place with 12-18-35 medals.
The Mountain Province Brave Mountaineers settled for eighth place from the previous fourth place rank with 5-27-47 medals.
