By June Navarro
Inquirer
ILOILO CITY–Many have tried but no one has come close to approximating the promise shown by former Asian sprint queen Lydia De Vega-Mercado at an early age.
But track officials here believe they have found a De Vega-Mercado-in-the-making after a Filipino-Canadian from Bacolod City powered to two impressive wins in the second day of the Philippine Olympic Festival Visayas Qualifying leg.
Jami Dawn Henares, 15, overwhelmed the field in the 400 meters, clocking a minute and .01 second, then snared another gold in the 200m with a time of 27.2 that caught the attention of Philippine Amateur Track and Field Association technical personnel.
The honor student at Destiny Christian Academy could have been the first triple gold medalist of the games had the charming 5-foot-6 lass ruled the 100m dash the other day.
“I didn’t start well because I wasn’t listening to the starting gun,” said Henares, who lost to Jenelyn Progio of Capiz by a hairline but avenged that defeat in the 200m.
Progio timed 13.435 against Henares’ (13.436) in the 100m.
After ruling the century dash, the 18-year-old Progio went on to bag two more golds in the 100m and 400m hurdles.
“I train her along with La Salle’s (Bacolod) track and field men’s varsity team,” said Frankie Echavarria, Henares’ personal coach.
In all, Capiz took five more golds in athletics.
Joannu Fegarido ruled the boys’ 200m dash, Sharjon Delgado dominated the boys’ 400m hurdles, Hanny Jean Delfin won the 10,000m and Joan Grace Fenitro prevailed in the girls’ shotput for Capiz.
Iloilo struck hard in taekwondo, collecting a total of 19 gold medals, and kept its head high in football, coming back from two goals down to force a 2-2 draw against Cebu.
Christian John Gersanib (finweight), Kevin Cabariban (welter), Keva Labrador (fin), Ryka Bernardo (fly), Ivanna Marie Mabunay (welter), Mario Nepomuceno (bantam), Jon Adjijil (feather), Gabriel Arnigo (fin), Carole Bullon (fin), Rieth Pangham (bantam), Lyn June Salibius (light) scored wins in the juniors division.
Providing the gold for Iloilo in the grade school division were Louvett Uy Deong, Ron Alde Dedoroy, Lester Barcenilla, Nicole Vidallon and Ayanna Benita Galotera.
November 1st, 2007 at 8:28 pm
Here is my list of the Top 10 Junior Girl Sprinters ever (some are filipino girls who ran in other countries). I just included Electronic Times not handtiming
(Hand Timing = bullshit timing) and doesnt count as proper official timing. Hand timing is ok for events 400m and up as it is more accurate.
*Take note how Jizmundo is not in this list as most of her times are hand timed.
*Krizia Apelar has ran 25.27 wind assisted and is still a Junior (born 1989)
Im unaware Klang Posadas ran 58 seconds at which meet was this at, i have not seen the official results???
I dont think the person who wrote this article like a lot of sports writers in the Philippines actually know very much about the sport, he seems to have gotten very excited and carried away with something which wasnt really that spectular at all.
Jami performance at this stage is not even a top performance for any of those 3 events as you will see in the lists below
JUNIOR WOMENS 100M ALL TIME
11.76 Lydia De Vega-Mercardo 1964 New Delhi 27/11/1982 Philippines JR Record
12.12 Chantal Issey Balani 1982 Manila 22/06/1905
12.15 Maristella Torres 20/2/1981 Manila 2000
12.20 Maricor Cuenca 2/01/1988 Sydney 2003
12.23 Honey Joy Ortaliz 10/11/1984 Manila 2001
12.40 Breanne Bumanlag 1988 Sacramento 8/05/2004
12.42 Krizia Apelar 1990 Manila 2004 Fil-am
JUNIOR WOMENS 200M ALL TIME
23.54 Lydia De Vega-Mercardo 1964 Manila 11/11/1981
24.77 Maricor Cuenca 2/01/1988 Sydney 2002
25.12 Sharon Jizmundo 1986 Manila 2005 SEAG
25.15 Chantal Issey Balani 1982 Hong Kong Jul 3 - 1982
25.23 Maricor Cuenca 2/01/1988 Sydney 2002
25.24 Honey Joy Ortaliz 10/11/1984 Manila 22/9/2003
25.54 Jonah Garao Genilza 23/5/1981 Rajamangala 1999
25.67 Amelia Francisco 1981 Bacolod 1999
25.71 Breanne Bumanlag 1988 Stockton 11/05/2005
25.75 Leslie Cercardo 1983 Manila 12/06/2001
JUNIOR WOMENS 400M ALLTIME LIST
54.75 Lydia De Vega 1964 Manila 13/12/1981
57.24 Jonah Genilza 1981 Bangkok 12/02/1999
58.4 Marife Swanque Pampanga 1990
58.4 Honey Joy Ortaliz 10/11/1984 Bicol 2002
58.5 Ma. Dela Paz Banebane Koronadal 2007
58.5 Ma. Andria Mendoza Bicol 2002
58.65 Sharon Jizmundo 1986 Manila 16/4/2005
59.2 Pedrina Krezel Koronadal 2007
59.5 Sorufia Tapsing Gen. Santos 2007
59.9 Cristina Malunes 1986 Bicol 2002
November 1st, 2007 at 6:49 pm
Im afraid that no one really has come close to Lydia De Vega’s records even at Junior level. None of these girls are worthy of comparisson. And that is both Klang and Jami. In my opinion the best junior girl sprinters after Lydia were Chantal Balani who ran 11.7 in 2000, and a girl called Maricor Cuenca who ran 11.96 Filipino but ran in Australia never ran for the Philippines. Jizmundo, Breanne Bumanlag and Krizia Apelar were also relatively good. Both Klang and Jami are nowhere near as good as the others listed here. And i definatley would not be bragging about 1m07 for the 400m that is NORMAL!!!!!
October 30th, 2007 at 8:51 pm
Yung mga nagtetrain lang po sa sarili nila at walang coaches advice ko lang lalo na ung naguumpisa pagputok ng starting gun, atakihin agad ang pagbuwelo. malaking factor ang start sa pagbilis ng times sa sprints, magtrain ng may humihila sa likod nila, magweights lalo na para sa upper body nila (chest at shoulders), praktisin ang start ng 30meters mga 20x at 150 ng 20 a day 3x a week. panuorin din ang mga video ng mabibilis tumakbo sa america sa http://www.youtube.com, type lang nila 100 meter sprints. Sana bumilis pa po kayong lahat at magsipanalo ng maraming ginto sa athletics for Phils! ;>
October 25th, 2007 at 5:00 pm
Oo nga po pala, ano na po ba ang nangyari kay Honey Joy Ortalez na pinadala ng PATAFA sa IAAF High Performance Training sa Malaysia? Sabi nila nagte train daw yun for SEA Games 2007 e wala naman sa list ng team na papadal dun ng lumabas na ang Team Phils? Sayang. Alam ko tamad mag train yun at di consistent. Sana iba na lang pinadala natin kung talagang wala naman daw gastos dun ang PATAFA. Nakpanghihinayang po.
October 25th, 2007 at 4:51 pm
Kelan ako kaya uliy makakakita ng mabilis na filipina sprinter na matutuwa ang sambayanan gaya ng nagawa ni Lydia de Vega. Ang dami dami nilang binibangit na bago pero hanggang bago lang at di consistent sa performance, andyan si Jami Dawn Henares, balitang magaling daw at katulad daw ni Lydia pero di naman talga katulad ng kay lydia ang mga times nya
Yung anak ni Elma na si Klarrizze Posadas na impressive ang mga times sa 100m at 200m pero bihira naman sumasali sa track at mas gusto pa yata mag basketball, si Lunille Dato-on, at 17yo dapat tumatakbo na ng 12.2secs na electronic sana sa 100m (nung kabataan ni elma sa Palarong Pilipino nung 1984 she ran 12.11 secs, si Lydia at 17YO was running 11.76 secs) pero hanggng ngayon 12.5 pa lang inspite of advanced techniques! Merily Teodosio na pride ng Phil Olympic Festival 2006 sa Nueva Ecija winning 6 events daw e di naman gumaling! Hay naku. Kawawang track. Sana may lumabas na masipag magtrain at takot matalo tulad ni Diay. Sana may lumabas ng mabilis at focused sa kani-kanilang oras. Measured naman ang 100, 200 at 400m kaya sana every year nag i improve sila. Bakit nun sa Gintong Alay record conscious ang mga athletes? Sana may lumabas na.