Baguio City National High School (BCNHS) and Camp 7 Elementary School toppled their fiercest competitors to win the highest ranks as champions of the recently concluded 2015 MILO Little Olympics in North Luzon. Over 5,000 promising athletes from 180 schools across north and central Luzon vied for the top honors in 15 sporting events including Athletics, Badminton, Basketball, Football, Gymnastics, Lawn Tennis, Swimming, Table Tennis, Taekwondo, Volleyball, Chess, Sepak Takraw, Scrabble and the two new demo sports in the roster, Karatedo and Arnis.
The northerners put up a stirring display of energy during the opening ceremonies attended by over 2,000 participants. Baguio Mayor Mauricio Domogan and Vice Mayor Edison Bilog, headlined the festivities as two of the distinguished guests of the festivities.
Tess Bernardino, Regional Organizer of the 2015 MILO Little Olympics in North Luzon, was delighted with the participation of the student athletes despite heavy rain during the three-day competition. ”The inclement weather posed a challenge for the organizers but despite this, our young champions played on and pushed even harder,” Bernardino said. “We thank the local government units and the academic community for supporting our endeavors in putting up a safe and successful sporting event,” she said.
In the secondary division, nine-time regional champion BCNHS showed muscle in Athletics, Badminton, Girls’ Chess and Football, which boosted them in earning a score of 171 points. The most stunning performance however, came from an unlikely contender. Last year’s 11th placer, Olongapo City National High School, blindsided their opponents with a surprise second-place finish. Largely due to their exceptional performance in Lawn Tennis and Boys’ Chess, Olongapo City National High School bagged a total of 76.5 points. Meanwhile, Holy Angel University managed to hold their grip for the third spot with 65 points.
High School teams from other participating schools also put up a good fight: Angeles University Foundation (60 points), Urdaneta City National High School (54.5 points), UB High School (52 points), Holy Family Academy (50 points), Mariveles National High School (44 points), while Alaminos City National High School and Zambales National High School both earned the ninth spot with 43 points.
Camp 7 Elementary School dethroned former champion Baguio Central School in the elementary division. Excelling in Girls’ Athletics, Camp 7 trumped its closest rivals and posted an overall score of 52 points. Mabini Elementary School saw action in Boys’ Athletics which put them to second place with 50.67 points followed by Elpidio Quirino Elementary School in third place with 43 points. Rounding up the top 10 cast are Bonifacio Elementary School (40 points), Special Education Center for the Gifted School (40 points), Don Bosco Technical Institute (37 points), Saint Paul College of Ilocos Sur (36.67 points), UB Lab (35 points), Ucab Elementary School (35 points), and Urdaneta Central School (33 points).
While BCS and Camp 7 have earned their title as Team North Luzon, both schools have a lot of work to do on the road to the MLO National Finals. “After celebrating their respective victories in their hometowns, preparations to help put our student athletes at the top of their game will quickly commence,” said Bernardino.
MILO Sports Executive Robbie De Vera expressed his appreciation to the regional organizers and the local government for their invaluable support for the sports competition, “We honor the efforts of our regional organizers, partners and local government units in making this year’s North Luzon games a great sporting experience for our participants” he said. “To wrap up another regional leg in the company of passionate young athletes is truly an inspiration for MILO. It propels us to continue our efforts in championing the value of sports through grassroots initiatives such as the MILO Little Olympics,” De Vera said.
The 2015 MILO Little Olympics eliminations leg will head over to its last regional leg in Visayas on September 10-13 in Iloilo. All winners from the elimination legs will represent their region in the 2015 MILO Little Olympics National Finals in Santa Cruz, Laguna on October 23-25, 2015.
The 2015 MILO Little Olympics is made possible by Wilson, Mikasa, Molten, Butterfly, Marathon and 2Go Travel, along with endorsements from the Department of Education, Philippine Sports Commission and the Philippine Olympic Committee.