LINGAYEN, Pangasinan -- Eight gold medals are up for grabs at the start of the National Private Schools and Athletics Association Games athletics competitions at 1 p.m. today at the Narciso Ramos Sports and Civic Center Oval here.

The gold medals to be disputed will be in the men and women's high jump, shot put, 100-meter sprint and 1,500-m run.

National PRISAA rookie Marvin Dave Villar, the most bemedalled male athlete during the Regional PRISAA Games in Bacolod City in December last year, is expected to spearhead the Western Visayas' bid of ruling the men's athletics hostilities when he competes in the 100-m race.

The 19-year-old Villar, a student at the Western Institute of Technology, will anchor the Region VI men's athletics squad that only managed to snatch one gold in the national meet last year courtesy of University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos Rechie Javillo's superb effort in the men's long jump.

Western Visayas bets Derek Kho and Arnel Tolon, both gold medalists in the Regional PRISAA Games, will vie for top honors in men's shot put and high jump, respectively.

The Region VI men's athletics is coached by Iloilo's Noel Diel.

Long-distance runners Perry John Jorca and Reynold Corcino, both students of the Western Institute of Technology, are aiming for the gold in the men's 1,500-m.

In the women's division, most bemedalled athlete Capiz' Marigen Campos is expected to power the Fritz Dorado-mentored Western Visayas ladies' squad when she goes for the gold of the 1,500-m, while Maylen Marquilina will try to snatch the gold in high jump.

Daylen Candelario and Daren Cabio hopes to win the top honors in the women's shot put as Jonalyn Pula and Ma. Rosario Baranao, both students at the University of St. La Salle, aims to book golden finishes in the 100-m sprint. *CIT

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