EXPERIENCE prevails as familiar faces grabbed the limelight in their respective age group classes and passed the qualifying time standard at the start of the MVP/Smart-PAI National Tryouts for the 47th Southeast Asia (SEA) Age-Group Championships on Friday at the Teofilo Yldefonso Aquatics Center inside the famed Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Malate, Manila.
Angeles, Pampanga-based Filipino American Rhianna Chantelle Coleman led the six young swimmers who passed the grade on the first day of action in the three-day competition organized by the Philippine Aquatics, Inc. and supported by MVP Sports, Smart Philippines, and the Philippine Sports Commission.
The bronze medal time in last year’s SEA Age Group held in Thailand was used as a barometer for the selection of the National Team members that will participate in this year’s edition in Malaysia.
The 16-year-old Coleman, a scholar at the National Academy of Sports in Clark and product of Dax Swim Club of coach Dax Halili, got another chance to don the National color as she claimed the gold in the girls 16-18 100-m breaststroke in a time of 1:14.38, just two-tenths of a second better than the QTS. She beat her much older rivals Cy Delos Santos, 18, of Marikina Poseidon (1:16.07), and junior internationalist Patricia Mae Santor, 17, of Iluste East (1:17.65). Last year, Coleman made it to the team with four QTS-breaking performances.
Aishel Evangelista, a veteran junior internationalist from the Betta Caloocan Swim Club, topped the boys 14-15, 1,500-m freestyle clocking 17 minutes and 30.40 seconds, but the result was later waived as QTS by the technical committee as the real QTS was overlook at 16:25.30. He beat Rio Stephen Coliyat of Aqua Sonic (17:36.90) and Phoenix Pajas of One Ilocos (17:39.90). The Junior High School also dominated the boys 14-15 200m freestyle at 2:01.92.
Also passed the QTS are Ryian Zach Denzel of FTW Royals in the boys 16-18 50m back clocking 26.89 (QTS, 26.90); Sophia Garra of WaveRunners in the girls 11-13 50-m breast (31.00) beating the 31.16 seconds QTS; Kyla Louise Bulaga of La Union Bull Sharks in the girls 14-15 200m butterfly (2:21.17/2:25.39); while both Patricia Mae Santor and Fil-Am Ava Bautista passed the 2:26.22 QTS in the girls 16-18 200m butterfly clocking 2:21.00 and 2:24.06, respectively.
Other gold medalists but failed to beat the QTS are Titus Sia, 13, who topped the boys 11-13 1500 freestyle (18:06.90) and 200m freestyle (2:08.75); Paulo Dominick Della Anton in the boys 16-18 200m free (2:01.47); Anya Dela Cruz in the girls 11-13 200m free (2:22.74); Ana David 14-15 class (2:12.25) and Billie Blue Mondonedo in the girls 16-18 200m free (2:11.19).
Action resumes on Saturday at 8:30 in the morning.
