IN A preview of the near future for Ateneo sports, multiple student-athletes capped off their high school stints with record-setting podium finishes during the 2024 Palarong Pambansa. The tournament was held from July 6 to 16 at the Cebu City Sports Center.
Athletics
Representing Western Visayas, the Ateneo Track and Field Team’s (ATF) highly-anticipated recruit Krisha Aguillon achieved a three-peat gold medal run in the Secondary Girls’ 100m sprint. The Bacolodnon crossed the finish line at 12.69 seconds, a mere .03 seconds quicker than the National Capital Region’s (NCR) Iza Pangilinan.
Remarkably, Aguillon became the first athlete to achieve a three-peat in the 100m since Rhemmy Soriano, who notched this feat from 2006 to 2008.
In the Secondary Boys’ division, ATF’s Carlos Miguel Nacario, who recently came off the Philippine Athletics Championships, bagged three golds and one silver medal in the 200m, 400m, 4x400m relay, and 4x100m relay events, respectively. Notably, the Batangas native completed the 400m event in 48.94 seconds.
Nacario’s 4x400m relay with his Calabarzon teammates would have set a new Palaro record at a time of 3:20.81. However, due to issues with the substandard track oval in which lane one turned out to be 1.5 meters off the standard 400m distance, 11 records were nullified throughout the competition, including Nacario’s.
Swimming
Fresh from receiving his Athlete-Scholar Award for his performance in last season’s University Athletic Association of the Philippines’ (UAAP) high school tournament, Ivo Nikolai Enot represented the NCR in the Secondary Boys’ swimming tournament.
The incoming Ateneo freshman collected two golds, four silvers, and a bronze medal throughout the meet. Enot’s gold medals came from his 50m backstroke and 100m backstroke performances, where he set a new Palarong Pambansa record after clocking in at 59.34 seconds.
Meanwhile, the freshman tanker also nabbed medals in the 200m backstroke, 100m freestyle, 200m freestyle, 4x100m freestyle relay, and 4x100m medley relay.
With Enot looking to make an immediate impact in the collegiate ranks, the FAST Ateneo Swimming Team remains on track as they prepare for a historic nine-peat bid in the UAAP men’s tournament.
After copping these remarkable accolades, the promising rookies aim to honor the Blue and White in the highly anticipated 87th season of the UAAP, which is set to commence on September 7.
