In a move that may tilt the balance of power in the school-based swimming circuit, Bacolod Christian Center unveiled 2007 Palarong Pambansa gold medallist Kiefer Alexander James Piccio as the latest standout to join its squad.

The 13-year-old Piccio, who won a gold, two silvers and two bronzes in the Palaro in Koronadal, South Cotabato last month, made a name for himself while donning the University of St. La Salle colors the past four years.

BCC announced Piccio's inclusion to its high school swimming team in a press release last week. The reason for his transfer, however, was not indicated in the press release. The DAILY STAR tried but failed to contact Piccio's father, Jake, for comment.

The younger Piccio has swept the elementary competition in the Western Visayas Regional Athletic Association Meet in 2006 and 2007, although it was only in this year's Palarong Pambansa that he finally struck gold.

Piccio was part of Western Visayas' victorious 4x100-m freestyle relay squad. He also took the silver in the 100-m fly and got another silver in the 4x50-m freestyle relay events. The two bronze medals came in the 50-m and 200-m freestyle.

Aside from the regular school-based meets like the NOPSSCEA and the Provincial Palaro, Piccio also shone in other events, like the 2nd Binirayan Tadpoles Inter-Club Swim Meet in Antique; Pilipinas Youth Swimming Cup-Visayas Leg Sectional 2 in Dumaguete City;

Second National Invitational Age-Group Swimming Championship in Cebu; 1st Electric Ray Invitational Swim Meet 2005 at the Rizal Memorial Swimming Complex in Manila; Monsoon Sprint Challenge; 1st Camp Aguinaldo Sprint Challenge in Quezon City; Sta. Fe Swimming Competition;

Sixth Davao Mayor's Cup Age Group Swimming Competition held in Davao, 104th Founder's Day Age Group Swim Meet in Dumaguete City and the 14th IASA National Invitational Age Swim Meet.

Piccio is the second swimmer acquired by BCC in an effort to beef up its squad, after Gerard Gelanga, one of Central Luzon's elementary swimmers in the Palaro, whose family hails from Bacolod. Gelanga is a graduate of Jocelyn V. Cacas Montessori in Marilao, Bulacan.

Piccio completes the six-man swim team of BCC that includes Palaro medalists Karlo del Carmen, Nico Kuan and Gelanga as well as mainstays Klint King and Kenn Diaz, the press release said.*CPT

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