CAPAS, Tarlac. — For five years, the efforts of Fil-Am pole vaulter Alyana Nicolas to jump four meters flat seemed like a frustrating exercise in futility.
But mustering her all, Nicolas finally nailed it with a picture-perfect first jump late Sunday night to underline her status as the country’s premier women’s vaulter at the close of the Philippine Athletics Championships at New Clark City Athletic Stadium here.
With the hometown crowd egging her on and as the last woman standing, Nicolas soared high and cleared the bar on her first attempt at the height she had not reached since 2019 for a fitting finale to the meet organized by the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association.
After landing on her back, the perky pole vaulter covered her mouth with both hands in glee, then stood up beaming to wave to the gallery in response to their support that inspired her to complete the feat.
Aspiring to compete in the Asian athletic championships in Gumi, South Korea, at the end of the month, the bubbly athlete changed poles and raised the bar to the entry standard of 4.10 meters but, visibly spent, failed in three tries.
FilAm Sports’ Amy Christensen, who gave Nicolas her greatest challenge, settled for the silver with a jump of 3.85 meters in her memorable debut in the meet backed by ICTSI Sports Foundation and CEL Logistics.
Amid the hot and humid conditions at the arena that was the site of the 2019 30th Philippine Southeast Asian Games, also stamping his class was UAAP Season 86 MVP Hussain Lorana, who broke away from the pack in the last 200 meters to win the men’s 800-meter run in a slow time of 1:51.86.
There was an upset of sorts in the men’s long jump, with national record holder and PH team mainstay Leonard Grospe, recovering from surgery for a bone spur on his left takeoff leg, winding up with the bronze with a pedestrian jump of 2.12 meters.
The jump was a far cry from his national record of 2.21 meters set in the 2023 edition of the meet backed by United Auctioneers Inc, Wireless Link, Milo, Pocari Sweat and Clark Water, Masiv Sports, EnergyA, and BCDA-New Clark City at the Philsports track oval in Pasig City.
Malaysian Mohd Eizlan Dahalan copped the gold, jumping 2.16 meters and Kent Bryan Celeste won the silver (2.14) in the games also backed by the Philippine Sports Commission.
“I haven’t hit (four-meter height) for so long, so I am proud of myself for doing it at the right place at the right time. I haven’t jumped four meters since coming over with (former national team member) Natalie Uy in 2019 at National Open in Ilagan, Isabela in 2019,” Nicolas said.
“I have to thank you for Amy for pushing me. I know that there’s still a lot left in me and I am really looking forward to the rest of the season,” added the athlete with Christensen by her side.
Nicolas said that with her stiffer pole and if not for the energy-sapping humid weather, “I was trying for 4.10 and was pretty confident I could get it. I took a lot of jumps today so the heat took a lot out of me.”
Although playing second fiddle to her fellow Fil-Am, Christensen was delighted just to take part in the competition “and happy for Aly (Nicolas’s nickname). We’ve been training together for most of the season so it’s been great.”
“However, I’m a bit disappointed at my jumps. I didn’t jump well today,” noted the San Francisco State athletic varsity standout, whose mother is from San Fernando, Pampanga.
Lorana said he was pressed by fellow national team member Dhem Ai Monton in the early stages of the race before finally going full throttle to keep the gold for the third straight year.
Tired from chasing Lorana, Monton faded to third (1:53.19) while fellow national teammate surged ahead to take the silver (1:52.50).
“Hindi ko rin na break ‘yung personal best ko kasi po short ang recovery time between the heats, semifinals and finals,” explained the victor, whose top time is 1:49.45 in the event.
In a two-way duel, 2019 PH SEA Games gold medalist Sarah Dequinan won the women’s heptathlon with 4,441 points while FEU’s Antonette Jay Aguilon was second with 3,651 points over the seven events of the grueling discipline.
Spectrum’s Junel Gobodia and Jessa Mae Roda won the demanding men’s and women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase with times of 9:12.11 and 11:09.37, respectively.
