PH Athletics Championships: Caminong sets national junior high jump record

MANILA, Philippines – To fight for the iron woman title is tough, but to set a national junior record is even tougher.  

Evangeline Caminong may not have won the girls’ heptathlon but she leapt to a new national junior mark of 1.71 meters in the high jump where she defeated her nemesis on Saturday, June 2, at the Ayala Philippine Athletics Championships in Ilagan, Isabela.

Caminong, daughter of a farmer, shaved off two centimeters off Kaylene Mosqueda’s two-year-old record.

Although she did not win a medal – since her record came in just one of heptathlon’s 7 events – Caminong’s mark notably turned out better than women’s individual high jump champion Raziebel Fabellon of Adamson, who had a winning leap of 1.65m.

Ateneo’s Alexie Mae Caimoso finished second to Caminong after registering 1.65m.

“This is to get back at my defeat to her (Caimoso) in the Palarong Pambansa and in the individual high jump girls event,” said Caminong, who later bagged her first gold in the girls’ long jump with a 5.23m tally. 

Caminong left her home in San Vicente, Palawan to pursue her dream to make the national team. 

Now representing Dasmarinas City, Caminong could receive a cash incentive of P20,000 as the Philippine Amateur Track and Field Association offered rewards for setting a national mark.

As the future of Philippine track and field basked in the spotlight, the veterans are racing against time to be in top form for the Asian Games in August.  

Olympian and former Asian long jump champion Marestella Sunang won after registering 6.16 meters, which is still far from her marks in two previous foreign events.

Harry Diones, the 2017 Southeast Asian Games triple jump silver medalist, is still struggling to return to last year’s superb form despite winning the event in 15.93. 

“We still have two months of work,” said Diones’ coach, Jojo Posadas. 

In late Friday’s results, Trenten Beram defeated Eric Cray in the 200 meters. Beram won in 21.11 against Cray, who seldom runs this event. Cray clocked 21.79 and Juan Caido finished 3rd in 22.07. 

Cray, the 2017 SEA Games 100m champion, had figured in a miscue in the 4x100m relay as the hurriedly assembled national team failed to connect. Anfernee Lopena failed to hand off the baton to Cray.

John Albert Mantua, who won the shot put by heaving the 3rd all-time best of 15.85 meters, added a second gold by taking the discus in 46.45 meters.  

Mantua’s twin gold matched that of Richard Salano, who took the 5,000 meters after ruling the 3,000m steeplechase on opening day Thursday. – Rappler.com