Jamesray Michael Alido and Amina Bungubung posted strong performances to gain spots in the national squad that will compete in the 35th Southeast Asia Age Group Championship set from 24 to 26 August in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Ajido and Bungubung, who are both members of the Quezon City Buccaneers Swim Club, made their presence felt and shattered the qualifying time standard in their respective events at the close of the national trout Luzon qualifier organized by the Philippine Swimming Inc. last Friday.
A two-time gold medalist in the SEA Age Group tourney in Kuala Lumpur last year, the 14-year-old Ajido clocked two minutes and 14.33 seconds to shatter the QTS of 2:14.83 in the boys’ 14-15 200-meter individual medley event.
Then, he posted 57.46 seconds to break the QTS of 58.43 seconds in the boys’ 14-15 100-meter butterfly event.
The FINIS brand ambassador and holder of national records in the boys 13-under 50-meter butterfly (26.52), 100-meter butterfly (58.13), 50-meter backstroke (29.20) and 100-meter backstroke (1:02.42) events also claimed the gold medal in the 100-meter backstroke after clocking 1:01.73.
He, however, failed to surpass the QTS of 1:01.30.
Bungabung, 16, got another chance to don the national colors as she topped the girls 16-18 50-meter freestyle in 27.58 seconds, breaking the QTS set at 27.69 seconds.
Their QBSC teammates Mishka Sy and Jalil Taguinod also shone with the latter shuttering the QTS in girls 16-18 200-meter butterfly (2:29.07) and 200-meter backstroke (2:29.86) via an impressive time of 2:24.36 and 2:29.54, respectively, while the former ruled the boys 16-18 50-meter breaststroke with 29.88 seconds surpassing the QTS of 29.89 seconds.
