NAGA CITY – Sixteen-year-old sprinter Rhemilyn Soriano of Laoac snared the first gold medal for Team Pangasinan as the Palarong Pambansa shifted to high gear last week at the sprawling sports stadium here.

Soriano easily breezed to the finish line in the 100-meter race finals, beating her closest rival from Western Visayas.

The young sprinter from Laoac National High School also bagged silver in the long jump, just minutes after she grabbed her first gold.

Soriano could have won the gold in that event had she not been obliged to run in the 200-meter finals scheduled just before the long jump event. She was still panting when her turn to make the long jump came.

The 4th year long legged lass is a Camp Victory trainee since her elementary days. Her star began to shine when she dominated the 100M, 200M, and long jump in the 2002 Batang Pinoy National Youth Games.

Camp Victory Pangasinan (CVP) was initiated by Governor Victor Agbayani to provide scientific training for young Pangasinan athletes. It provides in-house training for athletes with potential to become world class sprinters, cagers, boxers and swimmers.

Meanwhile, CVP boxer Christopher Obillo is already assured of a bronze medal when he defeated Nathan Bolcio (CAR) in a close fight in the second elimination round of boxing (pinweight category).

Obillo earlier crushed Mark Fabregas of MIMAROPA when he won by points (35-31) in the first elimination round. He is now the lone survivor among the four CVP boxers and is hopeful to punch his way to victory in the boxing semis.

The Pangasinan swimming team, skippered by Aikeee Ungson, has snatched a silver via 4×100-meter relay (Janet De Vera/CVP Secretariat)