Negros Occidental virtually clinched the secondary boys' athletics crown in the regional Palaro yesterday on a day when three homegrown bets captured their third gold medals at the Panaad Park and Stadium in Bacolod City.

After missing out on the gold in the high jump, Negrense JC Mark Palesterio blew past the opposition in the 200-m race, winning in 22.57 seconds. Sprint prince Paul John Geamoga came in second in 22.76.

Minutes later, Palesterio showed he had enough power in his legs to overwhelm the field in the 400-m race. Ringo Clavel made it a 1-2 finish for Negros.

And Talisay-born athlete Arjay Arinal added another gold to his collection late Wednesday when he leapt 6.59-m to top the long jump competition. German Remallo contributed another gold when he ruled triple jump with his 13.46-m leap.

Their victories boosted Negros' total to 127 points and only a monumental blunder in pole vault and the two relay events today can deny Negros the boys' high school crown

Keizel Pedriña of Victorias City completed a hat-trick of victories in the secondary girls' sprint events, while Josie Entrina added the javelin gold to her early triumphs in shotput and discus throw.

A senior at Victorias City NHS, the 16-year-old Pedriña underscored her tag as the sprint princess by winning the 200-m race in 25.62 seconds. She also copped the gold in the 400-m race with her 58.30 clocking to nip Ma. Dela Paz Banebane of Iloilo, who timed 59.63.

Entrina, who will graduate from Ramon Torres National High School next month, grabbed the javelin throw gold with a 37.26-m output.

Pedriña and Entrina's efforts, however, were not enough to dislodge Iloilo, which hung on to the lead with 131 points against Negros' 113.

Iloilo also took the upper-hand in the elementary boys' division, after registering 117 points, ahead of Negros, which needed another golden performance from Escalante's Aldin Flores to stay within striking distance of the Ilonggos.

Flores, a sixth grader at Escalante Central Elementary School, cornered his third gold of the meet, after topping the 800-m in 2:17.10 and 1,500-m races in 4:45.09. He ruled the 400-m event Wednesday.

Negrense Rommel Villar Jr. was the other gold winner for the province in the elementary boys' contest when he reigned supreme in the javelin throw competition with his 41.22-m effort.

The race for the elementary girls' title remained in the balance with the 4x100-m and 4x400-m races expected to decide the outcome today.

Led by double-gold winner Maika De Oro, Negros is ahead with 109 points, while Iloilo has 96. The relay golds are worth 14 points each.

Only Richel Yanson took a gold medal for Negros yesterday when she flung the javelin to 31.82-m. Iloilo's Mylene Torento, the frontrunner for the most bemedalled athlete in the category, came in at 27.71 seconds to edge Negros' Katrina Trish Isiderio (28.04) in the 200-m race. * CPT

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