Negros Occidental’s top student-athletes remembered their No. 1 backer.

Then, like any powerhouse bunch, remembered how it was to win big.

Wearing black armbands in honor of late Gov. Joseph Marañon, the defending champion Negrenses collected five of the 11 golds in athletics on top of big victories in ballgames at the start of the Western Visayas Regional Athletic Association Meet in San Jose, Antique.

A pall of gloom descended at Sibalom Elementary School Thursday night when news of Marañon’s death reached the Negros Occidental contingent staying there.

Vice Gov. Emilio Yulo III, who was with the contingent in Antique, said officials, coaches and athletes are praying for Marañon.

They also vowed to offer their victories to the late governor, who succumbed to cardio-pulmonary arrest Thursday night.

Marañon was a staunch supporter of Negros athletes competing in the regional Palaro and the Palarong Pambansa. He even personally handed out cash incentives of medalists in the past.

Yulo called for a 10 p.m. meeting Thursday and coaches decided to have athletes wear the black armbands to remember Marañon.

The athletes responded the next day with blowout wins in basketball, football, softball, volleyball and baseball.

Bago City’s top throwers Devy Isada and Bon Daryl Lagunday delivered gold medals at the Binirayan Sports Complex, duplicating the feats of Carl Stephen Carton, Roed Bais and Ritchie Joy Cabanyag in other events.

Isada topped elementary girls’ shotput with a 9.02-meter throw, while Lagunday took top honors in the secondary boys’ event with a 10.90m effort.

Carton ruled secondary high jump with a 1.80m leap. His output actually tied with Iloilo’s Ivan Sucaldito but the Negrense committed fewer fouls to gain the edge.

Bais won the elementary boys’ high jump by clearing 1.48m, while Cabanyag came away with the elementary boys’ shotput gold with a 10.92m heave. Cabanyag’s teammate, Gilbert Pamplona, won silver with a 9.67m record.

Sheena Pabila of Iloilo emerged as the meet’s first gold medalist by topping secondary girls’ 100m hurdles in 17.87 seconds. She was followed by Clairose Caliplip of Negros, who checked in at 17.83.

The secondary girls’ high jump gold went to Ricagene Quizon of Guimaras, who posted 1.45m to beat silver medalist Ruby Filomena of Negros (1.45m).

Palarong Pambansa gold medalist Mary Joy Caporas of Bacolod, though, was a disappointment, finishing third in the secondary girls’ 3000m by clocking 11 minutes, 10.91 seconds. Winning the gold was Girly Anne Solis of Iloilo (10:59.12).

In the elementary girls’ division, Negros defeated Capiz, 25-10, 25-18, in volleyball; 2-0 in table tennis and 24-0 in softball.

Negros’ elementary boys’ basketball team whipped Capiz, 72-26. In volleyball, Negros downed Antique, 25-6, 25-16, while the booters blanked Aklan, 12-0. The baseball team also blasted Guimaras, 13-1.

Except for a tough 3-4 loss to Iloilo in sepak takraw, it was smooth-sailing for the Negrenses in the high school events.

The male spikers made quick work of Capiz, 25-23, 25-10, while the volleybelles walloped Guimaras, 25-8, 25-17.

A big 14-0 blanking of Capiz touched off the campaign in secondary boys’ football. Capiz also took a beating at the hands of Negros in softball, 21-0.

Negros defeated Guimaras, 3-1, in boys’ table tennis, and edged Iloilo, 4-3 in baseball.*CPT

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