PH athletes bag medals in Southeast Asian Youth Championship

MANILA, Philippines – Two athletes from the University of Santo Tomas won the Philippine team’s only medals in the Southeast Asian Youth Championship held over the weekend in Thailand. 

Karen Janario won the 200 meters in 25.43 seconds but got the silver in her main event, the 100 meter hurdles with a time of 14.77 seconds. Feiza Jane Lenton ended third with 2:21.37 in the 800 meters, according to UST head coach Manny Calipes. 

Janario is the country’s top 100m hurdler and placed second in the National Open 100 meters last month. She also keyed the UST Lady Tigresses to victory in the UAAP track and field championship last February. 

Calipes said Janario, who turned 17 last April 7, is being prepared to run below 14 seconds in the 100 meter hurdles, where she holds the junior mark of 14.52. “My personal goal is for her to qualify for the World Juniors.” 

“She has improved a lot in the starts, her glaring weakness during her high school days,” said Calipes in a text message to Rappler.com. “She is now attacking the hurdles aggressively and she has improved a lot in her sprints.” 

Janario, a freshman, was one of the top athletes in her days at the Palaro and the Batang Pinoy program of the Philippine Sports Commission.

“She needs a lot of international age group meets to sharpen her skills.” 

Calipees said Ernest John Obiena, UST’s top athlete, will be competing in Singapore to hit the Olympic qualifying standard in the pole vault. He added that national 800 champion Elbren Neri is joining the national squad for the Taipei Open. – Rappler.com