LAOAG City—Javelin thrower Anna Bhianca Espenilla exceeded expectations in the 2025 Palarong Pambansa athletics meet at the Ferdinand E. Marcos Memorial Stadium in Ilocos Norte.
The 18-year-old Espenilla, a graduating student athlete of the Masbate Sports Academy in Region 6, went past a recognized Philippine junior record with a 48.47-meter heave and retained her crown in the secondary girls’ division.
As Espenilla collected her gold medal, 12-year-old swimmer Sophia Garra took in her fourth mint in the elementary girls’ side, also in record-breaking fashion at the end of her stint in the 200-meter individual medley.
Espenilla’s performance saw her improve the Palaro record of Katherine Quitoy of 45.72 meters set in 2018. Her mark also exceeded Quitoy’s national record of 44.71 meters set in 2017.
She set a record last year at 46.76 meters. But it was not recognized because issues concerning the Cebu City Sports Complex oval.
“Excited po ako. Na meet ko ang expectation ko, at nakagawa po ako ng record dito sa Palaro,” said Espenilla, who is set join the Far Eastern University varsity team in college.
Garra, a seventh grade student at DLS-Araneta Foundation, touched the pad at 2:31.4, obliterating Jasmine Mojdeh’s 2018 record of 2:31.12.
Fifteen year old Pi Durden Forward Wangkay of the National Capital Region came close to the Philippine junior mark as well, and almost shattered Jomar Udtohan’s decadelong clocking of 21.8 seconds.
Wangkay checked in with a 21.86-second finish in the secondary boys’ 200-meter run, beating Region VI’s Khian Labar by a fraction, (21.87).
“Humabol na lang po ako sa last 100-meters, niniyerbos po ako, dikit po kasi kami,” remarked Wangkay, at student-athlete at de La Salle-Zobel.
