■ Ofelia C. Empian
University of Baguio athletes brought home three gold, one silver, and three bronze medals in the International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI) Philippine Athletics Championships at the PhilSports, Pasig City on May 8 to 12.
Leading the medalists was Kapangan, Benguet pride Denver Tacay, who bagged gold in the under-20 men’s hammer throw, an event which he debuted in.
Tacay, 18, also bagged a bronze medal in the under-20 discus throw. He brought home the gold last year in the under-18 category.
“This is a new experience for me being in the under-20 ca-tegory and the hammer throw, and the challenge is worth it even if I didn’t get the gold in my main event, which is discus throw,” Tacay said.
Other UB standouts were Shiela Domilies who ruled the 800-meter girls under-20 and the team of Ken Ryzen Herrera, Xyndrex Orinion, Leishen Masangkay, and Cytelle Armendi for topping the 4×400-meter mixed relay under-18.
Silver medalists in the 4x400m mixed relay under-20 team are Angel Saysay, Shiela Domilies, Clyde Benito, and Mark Anthony Guillermo.
Ken Ryzen Herrera also won two bronze medals in the 800-m and 1,500-m boys under-20; and Angel Saysay who won one bronze in the 3,000-m steeplechase girls under-20.
UB’s Jazmin Butag also placed fourth in the under-20 shot put event and fifth in the discus throw women.
The UB athletes are mentored by athletics team head coach Hernanie Sore and former national team coach Arniel Ferrera.
Meanwhile, Baguio boy Hussein Loraña, representing the national team, also bagged gold in the men’s 800-m open among 43 entries in the country.
Loraña, who also had a short stint as an athletics varsity of UB last year, earlier displayed his prowess by snagging the gold medal in the men’s 800-m in the recent 2024 Hong Kong Athletics Championships.
He is now a varsity of the Adamson University Manila, after being scouted for his prowess in the athletics competitions.
