Palarong Pambansa standout Maurice Sacho Ilustre and University of the Philippines tanker Denjylie Cordero dominated their age groups to claim Most Outstanding Swimmer honors in the 52nd Philippine Swimming League (PSL) Leg Series, dubbed as The Manila Times College Swimming Championship held at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex Sunday.
Ilustre, who will be seeing action in the 2014 Palarong Pambansa in April in Laguna, collected 35 points to rule the boys’ 14 years category, ahead of Sean Elijah Enero (34 points) and Yuri Ilustre (32 points).
The 21-year-old Cordero got 41 points in taking the top spot in the girls’ 17-Under. Her sisters Delia Angela (38) and Dennice Juliet (27) placed second and third, respectively.
The other Most Outstanding Swimmers in the boy’s division are Marc Bryan Dula (6-Under, 34 points), Michael Gabriel Lozada (7 years, 34 points), Gabriel Labasan (8 years, 32 points), Vaugh Andre Aquino (9 years, 33 points), Charles Emmanuel Ticbaen (10 years, 32 points), Sean Cruz (11 years, 39 points), Inaki Emil Lorbes (12 years, 40 points), Sean Terrence Zamora (13 years, 40 points), Jose Gabriel Lavina (15 years, 43 points), Darwin Tumaneng (16 years, 36 points) and Jeron Mercader (17-Over, 30 points).
Aidepp Merriel (5-Under, 34 points), Janelle Blanch (6 years, 34 points), Micaela Jasmine Mojdeh (7 years, 36 points), Jasmine Del Moro (8 years, 34 points), Kyla Soguilon (9 years, 36 points), Chloe Anne Marie Fabic (10 years, 32 points), Charize Juliana Esmero (11 years, 43 points), Bela Louise Magtibay (12 years, 40 points), Portia Kate Doragos (13 years, 42 points), Carmenrose Matabuena (14 years, 42 points), Celyn Parco (15 years, 43 points) and Priscila Loren Aquino (16 years, 45 points) are the Most Outstanding Swimmers in the girl’s class.
“It was a successful event with more than 500 swimmers from different parts of the country. We are pouring in all our efforts to strengthen our grassroots development program. It includes the training of athletes as well as sending them to various overseas stints for exposures,” said PSL President Susan Papa, who thanked Federation of School Sports of the Philippines (FESSAP) President David Ong for sponsoring the Most Outstanding Swimmer trophies.
“Our aim is to have a program that would not only continue the country’s rise in the international sporting scenes but to the development of sports, especially in the grassroots. But it’s a step-by-step process and we’re happy that we’re moving forward,” added Papa.
The PSL is expected to name the candidates to the 2015 World Universiade in Gwangju, South Korea, anytime soon as well as in the upcoming international tournaments in Australia and Hong Kong.
The PSL, the national sports association for swimming of the FESSAP, and the longest grassroots developmental program in the country, will be selecting 96 swimmers (48 male and 48 female) for the Universiade.