Posadas displays coaching brilliance

An outstanding national athlete during her prime, former Southeast Asian Games long jump queen and two-time Olympian Elma Muros-Posadas proved that she is an outstanding track and field coach as well.

Posadas was feted as Athletic Coach of the Year of National Collegiate Athletic Association Season 99 after the Jose Rizal University (JRU) captured the track and field overall honors with a harvest of six gold, seven silver and three bronze medals in the NCAA trackfest at the Philsports oval in Pasig City recently.

It was the third straight overall championship for the JRU campaigners co-mentored by her husband, Jojo Posadas, highlighted by three wins of middle distance runner Frederick Ramirez, two of them in record-breaking time, to be adjudged as the NCAA Season 99 Athletics Most Valuable Player.

A gold medalist in the men’s 4x400-meter relay in the 32nd Cambodia Southeast Asian Games, Ramirez, 26, swept the 200 and 400-meter gold medals, clocking 21.43 and 48.03 seconds, respectively, to eclipse his previous NCAA marks of 21.43 and 48.03 seconds last year.

Underscoring that his feats were no fluke, the runner anchored a 1-2 finish with Mico del Prado in the men’s 400-meter contest in the prestigious Thailand Open held recently in Rangsit, Thailand.

Ramirez set a new meet record of 46.58 to take the gold while Del Prado had a season best of 46.82 seconds in settling for silver.

Posadas, an eight-time Southeast Asian Games women’s long jump gold medalist, was delighted by the athlete’s progress in both local and international play through proper training and nurturing together with husband, who is now the head coach of the national track and field team.

“Jojo and I have always looked for promising athletes whom we could develop and train to excel and, hopefully, become national campaigners in international meets,” Posadas said.

“We are proud that Frederick is among those who have stood out and come through the JRU ranks over the years.”