Her main goal is to follow footsteps of the great Lavandia

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AMONG the young track and field phenoms to watch in the forthcoming ICTSI Philippine Athletics Championships, popularly known as the National Open, from May 1 to 15 at the New Clark Athletics Center in Capas, Tarlac is javelin thrower Ana Bhianca Espenilla.

She has been dubbed the heir apparent of evergreen ErlindaLavandia, who dominated the event in her prime and won four gold medals in the Southeast Asian Games from 1979 to 1985.

A member of the Masbate Sports Academy, the mop-haired thrower certainly made a strong case as a worthy successor of the pride in Surigao del Norte by winning in all of the five meets where she competed here and overseas.

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She began her winning run in the ICTSI Philippine Athletics Championships in May 2024 at the Philsports track oval in Pasig City, followed by mints at the PalarongPambansa in Cebu City in July and the Indonesia Under-18 meet.

Along with MSA teammate and discus thrower Courtney Jewel Trangia, she also won a gold medal in her pet event in the Asean School Games in Danang, Vietnam the same month and then won another in the BatangPinoy National Championships in Puerto Princesa, Palawan in October.

Espenilla set a new BP record of 51.17 meters before winding up her triumphant campaign in the javelin throw event of the Southeast Asian Under-18 meet in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia with a throw of 49.33 meters.

Her outstanding accomplishments in 2024 led to her being named one of the Young Heroes Awardees in the Nickel Asia SiklabAtleta Awards at The Market! The Market! Activity Center in Taguig City last December.

When asked about her being compared with Lavandia, the dusky athlete beamed, saying: “Natutuwapoakong ma-compare kay Ma’am Linda peromalayo pa poakosakanya. Dapatmapagbutihanko pa bagokomaabotangmgatagumpaynanakamitniya.”

Even the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association acknowledged her prodigious talents by including her among the featured athletes in its poster of the ICTSI Philippine Athletics Championships along with Paris Olympic Games veteran and men’s 110-meter hurdles specialist John Cabang Tolentino.

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