It’s officialβthe Schools Division Office of Isabela is now a back-to-back regional sports champion, reasserting its stronghold in the Cagayan Valley Regional Athletic Association (CAVRAA) Meet with a much-improved performance from last year’s edition.
The IsabeleΓ±o athletes put on masterclass outings in various sporting events to deliver on their promise of keeping the crown in the Queen’s grasp, racking up 318 medals with 117 golds, 101 silvers, and 100 bronzes.
“Ang mindset po naming lahat e i-keep po ang pagdodominate sa swimming para tumaas po tayo sa ranking at hindi po maagaw ang championship,” Eric Virgilio Reyes, a Palarong Pambansa qualifier and one of Isabela’s most decorated swimmers, said.
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Coming into this year’s CAVRAA Meet, the green armies were primed to prevail as they were in a much better condition after their 40-day training regimen, a 63-percent increase from their 15-day preparation in 2024.
“Siniguro natin na talagang maayos at mahaba ang pag-eensayo ng ating athletes para sa CAVRAA. ‘Yung dating 15 days last year, nagawa nating dagdagan sa 40 ngayon, kaya alam kong mas lalo tayong lalaban,” Manolo Bagunu, Isabela Division Sports Officer, said.
The training proved to make a difference as the delegation supplied Isabela with enough gold on a daily basis to sustain the lead in the overall standings.
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Bagunu also attributed the delegation’s sterling performances to their sports interventions after a thorough study of Isabela’s CAVRAA showings in previous years.
“Nagconduct tayo ng comparative analysis ng 2023 at 2024 CAVRAA to carefully look into how we performed in the past two years. Kaya nalaman natin agad kung saan tayo malakas at mahina,” Bagunu said.
“So, ang ginawa natin, pinaigting natin ang training ng mga mahihinang events at lalo pa nating pinalakas ang dating gold miners like swimming para sure na sure na talagang atin pa rin ngayong taon,” he added.
After last year’s dismal showing, arnis, chess, and taekwondo scaled up their games to haul in a combined 24-gold-medal count.
Swimming, which handed Isabela its biggest gold mine with 29, also increased its gold medal reap to five, while athletics truly delivered as one of Isabela’s medal-rich events, doubling its gold reap from 11 to 22.
Dancesports also sustained its contribution with seven golds.
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The delegation found a big chunk of its gold count from the elementary division, rallying Isabela to a commanding lead over other kiddie delegates in the region.
For its part, the secondary level kept its pace to secure a one-gold edge over Cagayan.
The sports officer said that the same attention was given to both levels during the training, and their standings in their categories were a reflection of their rivals’ performances and athletic qualities.
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Isabela Schools Division Superintendent Rachel Llana recognized the effort of everyone who contributed to the Emerald’s successful campaign for another championship title.
The superintendent also expressed her most profound gratitude to the Provincial Government of Isabela (PGI), through Gov. Rodito T. Albano III and Vice-Gov. Faustino “Bojie” G. Dy III, the whole officialdom of the PGI, and all LGUs for their utmost support to the division from the preparations to the actual regional sports festivity,
The 117-gold-medal finish of Isabela in this year’s CAVRAA Meet, a 35-gold medal clear of its closest rival Cagayan, is the division’s best performance so far since 2010. (DepEd Isabela)
