LINGAYEN --- Western Visayas snatched 18 golds, 10 silvers and 14 bronzes yesterday to maintain its overall lead as the National Private Schools and Athletics Association Games enters its second to the last day today here.

The defending champion Region VI athletes posted 50-52-41 medal tally, including the additional medals won yesterday, to lead rivals Southern Mindanao (40-31-26) and Central Visayas (40-21-38).

Nine golds are up for grabs in the sepak takraw finals today, where the defending champion Western Visayas squad of Lilybeth Castor will compete in, while ten golds will be be disputed in the taekwondo hostilities at the City Mall in Dagupan City.

With majority of the medals already decided in the national meet and a close medal race has shaped up between Western Visayas, Southern Mindanao and Central Visayas, the Region VI athletes need to win at least the nine golds in sepak takraw to put some cushion into their advantage.

Western Visayas, just like Central Visayas, will already be minus 18 golds in the medal count since it does not have teams in baseball and softball, where Southern Mindanao has fielded its squads.

The men and women's basketball titles equivalent to 10 golds will be disputed tomorrow with Region VI already into the semifinals of both divisions that will take place today.

The men and women's volleyball crowns equivalent to 12 golds will also be disputed with the Western Visayas lady spikers already assured of a semifinal slot together Calabarzon, Central Visayas and Southern Mindanao.

The Western Visayas swimmers claimed 14 golds, two silvers and eight bronzes yesterday, while the men and women's athletics teams of Region VI combined for four golds, 10 silvers and five bronzes.

The Western Visayas men and women's lawn tennis squads grabbed four silvers and four bronzes in the team competitions, while the male woodpushers of Region VI bagged four silvers Wednesday night.

University of St. La Salle standout Nianhlyn Acain and Kristine Cabasac made the biggest waves for Western Visayas in the swimming hostilities after hauling five and six golds, repectively.

The National PRISAA newcomer Acain ruled the women's 200-m individual medley with a two minutes and 54.38 seconds clocking, while the 18-year-old Cabasac topped the women's 400-m free in 5:42.60.

Acain, 17, and Cabasac led the women's 4x100-m medley relay with gold medal win with a time of 5:26.37.

Joining Acain and Cabasac were Rheza Gonzales of the University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos and Angela Luz Tuble.

Brian Caluba, Jmark Cabasac, Michael Balinas and La Sallian Kevin King added four more golds to the coffers of Region Vi when they reigned supreme in the men's 4x200-m freestyle relay with a 9:39.44 clocking.

Rambel Martinez of USLS won a gold in athletics for Western Visayas when he topped the men's pole vault with a 3.30-m effort, while Maylen Marquilina, a student at the Western Institute of Technology, ruled the women's pole vault by posting a 2-m effort.

Jennilyn Progio grabbed the gold for Region VI in the women's 400-m hurdles in 1:07.8 as Hanny Jean Delfin ruled the women's 10,000-m run with a time of 41:09.1. The women's lawn tennis squad of Western Visayas bowed to Central Visayas, 8-4, 7-6 (7-1), in the finals to bring home the four silver medals.

Comprising the Region VI lady netters were Ellaine Rodriguez of La Salle and Ilonggos Althea Capalla, Maricon Gonzales and Mechielle Escartin.

Donning the colors of the Reynaldo Alipala-mentored Region VI men's lawn tennis team that won four bronze medals were Edgar Jremio of West Negros College, Onel Marc Gabitoya of the University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos and La Sallian Zachary Kirk Gonzales. *CIT

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