St. Paul University graders Sara Francine Olendo and Alfonzo Louis Olendo justified their lofty seeding and national ratings by capturing the title and the symbolic trophy in the premier 12 & Under Category in the 8th Don Teroy Memorial Inter-School Chess Team Championship held Aug.3-4 at the Perdices Stadium.
SPUD won for the third straight year after being threatened by the surging Bais teams in the last two rounds. Bais Pilot School-B, bannered by Maclord Labe and Daisy Mae Patrocinio, settled for 2nd place, while Balugo Elementary captured 3rd place. South City Elementary at 4th spot, Dumaguete Science High School at 5th place, and West Special Education claiming the last team award at 6th place by edging out Bais Pilot School-A, ABC Learning Center, and Sta. Cruz Tanjay Elementary in the tie-breaks.
Balugo Elementary’s regional player Walton Tenebroso claimed the Board 1 medal while Rejeine Sienes of South City Elementary won the Board 2 medal and the Top Female award.
In the 8 & Under category, St. Paul University’s duo of Joseph Masing and Arleah Sapuan trounced arch-rival Bais Pilot School-A to capture the crown.
Bais Pilot School B nipped the Silliman University upstarts, and Calindagan Elementary to claim 3rd place.
Masing was declared Board 1 champion while Sapuan captured the Board 2 and the Top Female medals.
A special award went Silliman University as the Best Represented School.
Cash prizes, trophies from Opsimas Trading, and medals were awarded to all the placers. Certificates of Appreciation donated by Caballes Press were likewise handed out the schools.
Sponsors in this event, let by City Vice-Mayor Woodrow Maquiling and the City Council were recognized in the ceremonies. The tourney attracted 35 schools and teams all over the Province.
Chess patron and businessman Roberto Vasquez was guest of honor during the opening ceremony, with other club officials Hilbert Arinaza, Joseph Duran, and Benjor Bejamin.
Anthony Tenebroso, representing the Office of the Governor, graced the awarding ceremony where he distributed boxes of vitamins to all the participants.
The activity is sanctioned by the Department of Education, and organized by the Negros Club 64 in full cooperation of the Negros Oriental Sports Development Program headed by Paultom Paras, with chess coordinator and tournament director Florendo Zamora. (PR)
