ROXAS CITY --- As in the past few years, Day One of Western Visayas Regional Palaro swimming competitions belonged to Negros Occidental.

Yesterday was not any different as Negrense tankers fished out 16 of the 20 golds disputed for the day, leaving the opposition on a watery grave at the Villareal Stadium pool here. Although the point system that gives 10 points for an individual gold and 15 for a relay win and not the medal tally will determine the team titlists, Negros' productive day gives them a huge lead in championship points.

Diminutive swimmer Kiefer Piccio, a fifth grader at the University of St. La Salle, emerged as the day's biggest star, claiming two individual golds, before anchoring a relay victory, while Joshua Balinas, Krestia Angela Lacson, Miguel Villanueva and Raffy Hechanova all booked double-gold finishes.

Earl Steven Alvior and Lacson, who are members of the Negros Occidental Aqua Hurricanes, swam their way to the swimming competition's first two golds by winning the secondary boys and girls' 400-m free in 4 minutes 54.25 seconds and 5:07.34, respectively.

A revelation in last year's provincial Palaro, Piccio, 12, topped the elementary boys' 50-m back in 36.47 seconds, before winning the 50-m fly in 34.42 seconds.

He was also part of the triumphant 4x100-m medley relay team that also included Balinas, who earlier snared the 200-m free crown.

Lacson of St. Scholastica's Academy, who won the silver in the 100-m back behind Iloilo's Nicole Catolico, led the 4x100-m medley relay team to the gold.

Villanueva, a member of the victorious 4x100-m medley quartet, triumphed in the 100-m back (1: 08.81) but settled for the silver in the 100-m fly won by Bago City's Hechanova (1:03.71). Hechanova was also a member of the relay squad.

Also ruling their respective events were Negros bets Michele Petero (secondary girls' 200-m breaststroke), Carmela Nava (secondary girls' 100-m fly), Hillary Tan (elementary girls' 200-m free), Mitchel Alfred Villarosa (elementary boys' 100-m breast) and Rowena Sumaria (elementary girls' 100-m breast).

Iloilo won the remaining four golds courtesy of veteran Kiefer Ticao (secondary boys' 200-m breast), Catolico, Zen de los Reyes (elementary girls' 50-m back) and the elementary girls' 4x100-m medley relay.

Twenty-more golds are up for grabs today in the second to the last day of the swimming competition. *CPT

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