LOCAL bets Billie Blu Mondonedo, Maxene Hayley Uy, Sophie Rose Garra, and Liv Abigail Florendo shared the limelight with homegrown and Filipino-foreign bred competitors at the close of the Philippine Aquatics, Inc. (PAI) 50-meter-long course National Trials at the Teofilo Yldefonso Swimming Pool in Malate, Manila last Sunday.
Mondonedo, 17, currently hooked with the FTW Royals Swim Club, cemented her inclusion in the Philippine Team with an astonishing performance in the girls 16-18 100-meter freestyle, clocking 56.64 seconds, shattering the SEA Age Qualifying Time Standard (QTS) of 58.41.
She bested teammate Arabella Nadeen Taguinota (1:01.13) and Asian Age Group Championship campaigner Trixie Ortiguerra of Tarlac Mako (1:01.62) and claimed her third QTS gold medals in the event that will select members of the Philippine Team set to participate in international tournaments, including the SEA Age Group tilt in December in Bangkok, Thailand.
Mondonedo completed her mastery in the freestyle with victories in the 50-meter (26.48), improving the QTS of 27.05 and 200-m (2:08.34) and eclipsing the 2:09.09 standard time in the four-day event.
“It’s a dream come true. One step at a time, until I reach my goal to compete in a high-level competition, hopefully the Olympics in the future,” said Mondonedo.
Uy, Garra, and Florendo made it to the training pool with respectable showing in their respective classes after faltering in the first three days of competition.
Uy, 15, of the NOGCC Team in Bacolod City, topped the girls’ 14-15 50-m backstroke, clocking 31.15 seconds to better the 31.36 QTS; Garra claimed her place in the team by breaking the QTS of 1:09.52 in the girls-11-13 100-m back with a time of 1:08.98; and Florendo swam big in the girls 11-13 200-m fly shattering the QTS (1:09.52) with a time of 1:08.98.
“We’re happy to see some unfamiliar names breaking the standard time in the Trials. This only proves that PAI swimming club members are seriously adopting the training program we crafted and distributed throughout our regional areas. We will review the results, para makita rin natin na puwedeng maisama yung ibang gold medalist na walang QTS but very potential,” said PAI Secretary-General Batangas 1st District Congressman Eric Buhain.
