IBA, Zambales—Dexter King Lacuna made Malolos City proud on Tuesday by becoming the first triple gold medalist in the 2012 Central Luzon Athletic Association (CLRAA) meet this province on Luzon’s western seaboard is hosting for the first time in 18 years.

Lacuna, 14, showed swimming indeed runs in the family and, just like older brother and Youth Olympic Games veteran  Jessie King Lacuna, splashed his way to the gold medals in the secondary boys 400m freestyle (2:42.41), 100m backstroke (1:05.37) and 200m butterfly (2:24) at the refurbished Olympic pool of the Zambales Sports Center.

And as competitions in the CLRAA turned fever-pitch, Zambales Gov. Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. and son, newly-elected District II Rep. Jun Omar Ebdane, expressed interest in hosting the meet anew in 2013—if there would be no takers.               

“May we, the province of Zambales, be given the chance to host these outstanding athletes again in 2013. I say that with humility and much sincerity,” said Ebdane, who also intends to take more aggressive steps to make the province a leading sports tourism destination in the country.

Winning is not new to Lacuna, a high school sophomore at the Marcelo H. Del Pilar National High School.   

“I won five individual gold medals and a relay silver medal in last year’s CLRAA [in Bulacan]. I’ve prepared hard and I think I’m capable of duplicating my performance here in Zambales,” said Lacuna.

Elijah Jean Antonio gave Malolos its fourth gold medal in the elementary girls 200m freestyle (2:42.41) as the delegation poised itself to a pool showdown with Olongapo City and Bulacan.

Olongapo City also won four gold medals courtesy of Helena Teopo (5:11.22) and Latina Dy (1:19.51) in the secondary girls 400m free and 100m back, respectively, and Janleth Villanueva (1:21.58) and Judith Marie Villanueva (34.65) in the elementary girls  100m back and 50m breast.

Rafael Barreta bannered Bulacan’s campaign with two gold medals in the elementary boys 200m free (2:20.02) and 50m butterfly (33.35).

Pampanga, meanwhile, took three gold medals to solidify its drive to remain as the region’s No. 1 in athletics.

Dianne De Jesus opened the gold rush for Pampanga in the secondary girls shotput with a 9.49-meter performance. No one from the field could break 8 meters with Genesis Gongallo of Tarlac province finishing second with 7.59m and Babylyn Aronda of San Jose Del Monte third with 7.56m.               

Jenalyn Bermudo and Angelo Manalo swept the elementary boys and girls 400m hurdles with times of 1:17.89 and 1:10.91 as Pampanga collected seven gold medals in the sport.

The other contributors to Pampanga’s coffers were Mark Louis Garon in the elementary boys long jump, Florleslie Payumo in the elementary girls 1,500m, Chris Paulo Haluber in the secondary boys shotput and Chelsealiz Lintag in the secondary girls javelin.