The best pole vaulters in the country will take centerstage when they compete for pride and glory in the Atletang Ayala World Pole Vault Challenge today at the Ayala Triangle in Makati City.

National team members Hockett delos Santos and Janry Ubas lead the cast of competitors of this prestigious event that is set against the beautiful backdrop of Makati skyscrapers.

Under the tutelage of Ernest John Obiena’s father, Emerson, at University of Santo Tomas, Delos Santos is considered as one of the country’s best all-around athletes. Aside from pole vault, where he bagged a silver medal in the 31st Southeast Asian Games in Vietnam, Delos Santos also competes in decathlon, hurdles, long jump, high jump, javelin throw and shot put.

Ubas, on the other hand, is a prized decathlete who won the gold medal in the 32nd SEA Games in Cambodia in 2023. All in all, he already has seven medals in the biennial meet, underscoring his jumping prowess.

Competing with them are other Emerson Obiena proteges like Sean Harry Narag and Mejen Sumbongan as well as University Athletic Association of the Philippines juniors record-holder John Philip Villar and Filipino-American Enzo Sison.

In the distaff side of this tourney that serves as an appetizer in the World Athletics-sanctioned vaulting event featuring Obiena and some of the world’s best athletes on Sunday are Filipino-American Alyana Nicolas, Jia Kawachi, Jessa Marie Libres, Khrizzie Ruzol and Isabella Louie Sta. Maria.

Trained by Filipino pole vault Olympian Ed Lasquete, the US-based Nicolas won the bronze medal in the previous SEA Games while Kawachi, Libres, Ruzol and Sta. Maria had won medals both in the UAAP and the National Athletics Open.

Rounding out the women’s side are Riezel Buenaventura, who won a silver medal in the World Masters Athletics Championships in Sweden, and Fil-Am Amy Christensen, a silver medalist in the recent Philippine National Championship.