DAGUPAN CITY - The Western Visayas men and women's swimming squads fished out five more golds yesterday to keep their lead in the medal race of the National PRISAA Games swimming competition that will end today at the City Olympic Pool here.

University of St. La Salle standout Nianhlyn Acain and Kristine Cabasac brought home two gold medals each in the women's division for Region VI, while Kevin King, a freshman at USLS, took the lone gold for the men's squad.

Western Visayas upped its medal-haul to 16 golds, 22 silvers and nine bronzes, ahead of Calabarzon (13-11-3) and Central Visayas, which claimed eight golds yesterday courtesy of its men and women's 4x50-meter freestyle relay squads, with an 11-7-19 medal count.

The 17-year-old King topped the men's 1,500-m free in 19 minutes and 40.73 seconds, to beat Calabarzon's Sato Lipat (20:09.43) and teammate Mark Catalan (20:37.19).

Acain, also a rookie in the National PRISAA Games, followed up King's stellar performance with a golden finish when she reigned supreme in the women's 200-m breaststroke with a 2:57.03 clocking, ahead of Central Visayas bet Clanel Celerio (2:58.97) and teammate Angela Luz Tuble (3:01.27).

The 17-year-old Acain won her second gold when she booked a time of 1:18.32 in the women's 100-m butterfly, edging Astrud Valdez of Calabarzon (1:18.41) and Katrina Rubi of Central Visayas (1:23.41).

Cabasac, a student at the University of San Agustin-Iloilo, snared her third gold of the competitions, after topping the women's 800-m free with an 11:26.14 clocking.

The Iloilo tanker standout grabbed the gold ahead of Southern Mindanao's Shahani Navarro (11:46.66) and teammate Sharmaine Galang (12:04.71).

Cabasac also posted a golden finish in the women's 100-m free in 1:08.50, nosing out UNO-R's Editha Visitacion (1:08.99) and Maribeth Ababon of Central Visayas (1:15.39).

Visitacion also bagged a silver for Region VI in the women's 4x50-m free also part Jessica Leonardia, Marvie Joy Reyes and Melrose Cordero.

Tuble and Rheza Gonzales, also from UNO-R, registered silver finishes in the women's 50-m backstroke and women's 200-m breaststroke, respectively.

Adelbert Gallos placed second in the men's 100-m fly, while Sean Mark Rose and Karl Roger Jayme finished third in the men's 200-m back and the men's 200-m breast, respectively.

Gallos, Rose and Jayme --- all from John B. Lacson Colleges Foundation-Iloilo --- also won silvers in the men's 4x50-m free together with Negrense Dax Donguines.

Twenty-four golds are at stake today in the last day of swimming competitions. Southern Mindanao is in fourth place (7-6-8), while Central Luzon is in fifth (1-2-8). *CIT

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