Ms. ROTC Games Visayas 3rd placer tops long jump; Navy swimmer adds 2 more golds

BACOLOD CITY – Navy cadet Carlo Mae Ongayo will have a pretty dilemma when she competes in the Philippine ROTC Games national finals in Indang, Cavite.

As the third placer in the Ms. Philippine ROTC Games Visayas leg, not only will the comely student prepare for the pageant but now she will have to train. ever harder.

Underscoring that she is not merely beauty and brain, Ongayo showcased her athleticism on Tuesday in ruling the women’s long jump at the Panaad Park and Sports Complex oval here.

Small but dynamic as former Asian women’s long jump queen Marestella Torres-Sunang, Ongayo secured the gold on her second try of 4.28 meters early in the morning for a spot in her pet event in the PH ROTC Games national finals in Indang, Cavite in August.

Sharing the spotlight was prolific Navy cadet swimmer Marvic Iguidez, who had a perfect sweep of his five individual events in adding the men’s 100 and 200-meter backstroke mints in the meet supported by the Commission on Higher Education and Department of National Defense.

The John B. Lacson Foundation Maritime University marine engineering student copped the men’s 100 back in 1:12.33 before capping his memorable outing in clocking 2:42.55 in the 200 back of the Games also backed by the Philippine Sports Commission and Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino.

“Masaya akong nanalo kasi ito talaga ang event ko,” said Ongayo, 20, a BS Criminology freshman student at Siquijor State College, who saw action in the 2019 Palarong Pambansa held in Davao City and finished in the top eight of the high school division of the girls long jump.

“Talagang masaya kasi matagal din hindi nakapaglaro dahil sa (COVID-19) pandemic,” added Ongayo, who has a personal best of five meters flat in the long jump after her performance witnessed by Senator Francis ‘Tol’ Tolentino, the father of the PH ROTC Games.

Responding to the question on how to survive her demanding schedule competing in the finals of the Ms. PH ROTC Games pageant and the long jump, the comely athlete replied: “Time management”.

“Ongayo’s success shows the well-rounded vision of the ROTC Games is working. They have beauty, brains, brawns, and skills. They have everything,” noted the senator, who also shot the starting gun in some of the track events in the competition supported by the Philippine Sports Commission.

“Hard work lang po talaga at tunay na masaya ako na makauwi ng limang ginto,” said Iguidez, who had to rush back to Iloilo after the awarding ceremonies so he could prepare for the finals of his course the next day.

Air Force cadet Axel Rose Impasta of Southern Leyte State University also bagged the women’s long jump (4.51), the same with schoolmate and Army cadet Aprille Anne Lacerna (4.49) in the sports fest also supported by the Bacolod City government led-by Mayor Albee Benitez.

Air Force cadet Ryan Servana Almanza of Visayas State University topped the men’s 1,500-meter run in 4:38.60, while Army cadet Joven Makilan was a runaway winner in the same event in a time of 4:28.0.