FOUR young swimmers made the qualifying time standard (QTS) to earn provisional status as members of the national team to the 35th Southeast Asian Age Group Swimming Championships set August 24 to 26 in Jakarta.
Catherine Cruz of Mabalacat Race Pace Swim Team, Arabella Nadeen Taguinota of Pasig City Swimming, Peter Cyrus Dean of Killerwhale Elite Swim Team Quezon and Ivo Nikolai Enot of Ayala Harpoons Swim Club made the grade on the first day of the national tryouts Luzon qualifying Friday at the Teofilo Yldefonso inside the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.
Cruz, 15, passed the 2:13.23 QTS in girls 14-15 200 meters freestyle with a time of 2:13.15 to top the event over Daryn Santamaria of Ilocos Sur (2:17.72) and Jada Corine Cruz of Ilustre East Aquatic in the tryouts organized by Philippine Swimming Inc. led by new president Miko Vargas and secretary-general Batangas Rep. Eric Buhain.
Taguinota dominated the girls 14-15 100 breaststroke with 1:15.57 to surpass the QTS of 1:17.89. Patricia Santor of Ilustre (1:18.55) and Daniella Gregorio of Lipa City (1:19.43) completed the podium in the tournament sponsored of the Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee and Speedo.
Dean and Enot made it to QTS (28.10) in the boys 16-18 50 backstroke after the pride of Lucena City’s and incoming Grade 11 student at Manuel Enverga University recorded 27.97.
Enot clocked 28.07 with Estifano Ramos of Golden Sea settling for bronze with 28.25.
“It’s great to see the enthusiasm of the young swimmers to participate in the national tryouts,” said Buhain, a two-time Olympian and Philippine Sports Hall-of-Famer. “Because they didn’t experience this before, but as we promised we will make all PSI programs inclusive for the sake of our athletes and to the growth of sports in aquatics.”
Event organizer Chito Rivera said the status of the three swimmers remain provisional until the completion of the North Luzon and Visayas tryouts which will be held simultaneously from July 21 to 23 in Vigan City and Dumaguete City and the Mindanao qualifying on July 22 and 23 in Digos, Davao del Sur.
In other results, the Waverunners’ Sophia Garra led the girls 11-13 50m back (33.04); Maxene Uy of NOGCC in girls 14-15 (32.50); Ishaelle Villa of CM Riptide in girls 16-18 (31.08); Rio Coliyat of Aqua Sonic in boys 11-13 100m breaststroke (1:13.47); Seb Rafael Santo in boys 14-15 (1:11.34); and Jalil Taguinod in boys 16-18 (1:06.44).