Quezon city: Peter Sancho Del Rosario and Anisha Eunice Caluya emerged victorious in the sprint junior elite category at the National Age Group Aquathlon held at the Amoranto Sports Complex in Quezon City.
According to Philippines News Agency, the 16-year-old Del Rosario from Santa Rosa, Laguna, clocked an impressive time of 15:54 to secure the top spot in the men's division. Reflecting on his performance, Del Rosario expressed his satisfaction, stating, "I feel very accomplished today. I was thinking about my strategy last night and I think I executed that perfectly." He had also been the top Filipino performer at the Subic International Triathlon two weeks prior. Darell Johnson Bada from Olongapo City finished second with a time of 16:07, followed by Giro Don Rafael Gito at 16:25.
Anisha Eunice Caluya successfully defended her women's title, recording a time of 18:00, outperforming Kariel Rosacena of El Nido Teen Sharks, who finished with a time of 22:10. The 19-year-old Caluya, representing De La Salle University, expressed her joy at maintaining her performance despite numerous competitions, both international and local. She is set to participate in the Asian Junior Cup scheduled for June 10-14 in Kampar, Malaysia.
In other categories, Dustin Dame Eslay of North Pine Aquatic Swim Team and national team mainstay Erika Burgos clinched gold medals in the sprint elite men and women divisions, respectively. Additional winners in the sprint category included Ralf Bernhard (16-19), Jan Mikaela Caruncho (20-29), and Fritzie Labastida and Patty Dimaano-Moncera (40-49).
In the U15 Youth 13-15 category, standout performances were seen from Pio Mishael Gabriel Latonio (15:11), Remsen Balog-Asan Cayowet (15:37), and Kurt Evans (15:55) in the boys' division. Meanwhile, Alainia Bouffaut (7:14), Eliesse Julia Dela Cruz (17:35), and Jovie Yzelle Calisog (17:37) excelled in the girls' division.
The Super TriKids category saw Gavin Tantoco and Ma. Georjina Pacquing-Sumale securing gold medals in the boys' and girls' 9-10 divisions, while Knight Hiliel and Ysabella Leana led the under-6 category.
Winners in the Standard category included Aivan Dail Toquero and Kiandra Emiko Lee (18-24), Joshua Abante and Mariniell Clarete (25-29), Fil-Maur Louis Nacion and Jemimah Abdrea Fajardo (30-34), Renze Rovie Banawa and Patricia Anne Castillo (40-44), and Boj Cardona (45-49) alongside Dato Arroyo (50-54).
The National Age Group Aquathlon, backed by the Philippine Sports Commission, Milo, and Gatorade, is a vital element of Triathlon Philippines' grassroots and talent identification program. Triathlon Philippines president Tom Carrasco expressed gratitude to the Quezon City local government for their support in facilitating the event's smooth execution.
