Jenny Lerio D. Dalagan, a newcomer to the National Private Schools Athletic Association (Prisaa) 2026, turned her nerves into motivation as she captured one gold medal and one silver for Davao Region in the athletics competition at Panaad Park and Stadium in Bacolod City on Monday, May 11.
A Golden Leap to Victory
The 17-year-old Grade 12 student from Rizal Memorial Colleges Inc. ruled the youth girls' long jump event with a new personal best of 5.14 meters. Erica Faye Casumpang of the Soccksargen Region settled for silver with 5.12 meters, while Gwen Diaz of Central Visayas took bronze with 4.83 meters.
Dalagan also claimed silver in the youth girls triple jump after posting 10.94 meters, behind Casumpang’s gold-winning leap of 11.13 meters. Jchiane Myrrh Guloy of Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) earned bronze with 10.62 meters.
Surprising Success Despite Low Expectations
Despite winning gold, Dalagan admitted she arrived in Bacolod without high expectations. “Wala po talaga akong high expectations dito kasi first time ko lang makasali sa competition na ito (I really did not have high expectations because this is my first time joining this competition),” she said in a Messenger interview with SunStar Davao. “Nagulat na lang po ako noong nakuha ko yung gold medal at nakakuha pa ng new personal best sa long jump (I was surprised when I won the gold medal and even recorded a new personal best in the long jump),” she added.
Dalagan said the event was actually her least favorite among the three events (triple jump, high jump, and long jump) she competed in.
From Grade 9 to National Stage
The youngest among five children, Dalagan said she started competing in jumps at age 14 while in Grade 9. “I started because of the thought that I could visit other places and for grades,” she said. She credited her family and friends for encouraging her to pursue athletics. “Dahil sa pagtalon ko po nakita iyong sarili ko (Because of jumping, I discovered myself),” she said.
Dalagan said none of her family members are track athletes, although one of her older brothers used to play basketball and compete in swimming.
Trusting the Training
During the finals, the Davao Region standout focused on trusting the work she put in during training. “Ang nasa isip ko lang po ay magtiwala sa umaga’t hapon na training ko, na hindi ko hahayaang masayang lahat ng hirap at sakripisyo ko para sa mga pangarap ko (All I thought about was trusting my morning and afternoon training and making sure none of my sacrifices and hard work for my dreams would go to waste),” she said.
She admitted feeling nervous because it was her first National Press appearance.
Dedication to Dreams and Family
Dalagan dedicated her victories to her dreams, her family, and Davao Region. “Para sa akong pangandoy, sa akong pamilya, ug para sa Davao Region (This is for my dreams, my family, and Davao Region),” she said.
Aside from her gold in the long jump and silver in the triple jump, Dalagan also placed fourth in the high jump event. Before advancing to the national meet, she won three gold medals during the Davao Region Prisaa Meet 2026.
Dalagan said her main target in Bacolod was to surpass her previous marks. She prepared through twice-daily training sessions and proper conditioning.
Aspiring Athlete's Ultimate Dream
The aspiring athlete said her ultimate dream is to finish her studies while helping ease her family’s financial burden. “Ang dream ko lang po ay makapagtapos ng pag-aaral na hindi kailangang maghirap para sa akin yung family ko (My dream is simply to finish my studies without my family having to struggle for me),” she said.
Other medalists from Rizal Memorial Colleges representing Davao Region included Janel Cabiles, who won silver in the 1,500 meters and bronze medals in the 3,000 meters and 800 meters, and Mia Lagumbay, who captured bronze in the 100-meter hurdles.
