Before Elma Muros, no other female athlete was as well-rounded
as LOLITA R. LAGROSAS whose track
career spanned over two decades, involving three major sports disciplines—High
Jump, Broad Jump (now Long Jump) and Pentathlon. On the side, she even played Basketball
for the National Women’s Team!
Born in Naawan, Misamis Oriental on 24 August 1938, her versatile athletic skills in provincial meets—she was an excellent jumper, hurdler, sprinter and thrower-- paved the way for her relocation to Manila, where Far Eastern University gave her a scholarship.
In her prime, the five foot four and a half, 113 lb. Lagrosas went through 5 hours of training every day. This served her very well indeed, as she gained attention when, at age 20, she snagged a Silver in her favorite favorite High Jump at the 1958 Tokyo Asiad, behind the Japanese entry.
In 1965, right after winning Gold for High Jump and Long Jump at the National Open at Roxas City, she went to Taipei and copped 3 Gold Medals in her 3 events, and was adjudged “Most Outstanding Athlete” in the Nationalist China-Philippines dual meet. A few days after returning to Manila, Lagrosas had to fly back to Taipei to serve as a guard to the Philippine basketball team at the Asian basketball championship.
In the next Asian Games she appeared in, she earned 2 more medals for High Jump: 1966 Bangkok (Silver) and 1970 Bangkok (Bronze). Also at the 1966 and 1970 Bangkok Asiads, this Filipina Iron Woman won a pair of Bronzes in Pentathlon, the counterpart of the Men’s Decathlon, which involved completing 5 gruelling events for points: High Jump, Shotput, Hurdles, Long Jump and 200 m. dash, contested in 2 days.
Lagrosas was also a two-time Olympian, having competed in the jumping and pentathlon events at the 1964 Tokyo and 1968 Mexico Olympics. Her personal bests: High Jump – 1.69 m. (1966); Long Jump– 5.71m. (1970); Pentathlon – 4131 points (1968, accomplished at the Mexico Olympiad, putting her in 25th place in a field of 33 ). After retiring from the sports, Lagrosas and served as a long time Head Coach of the track and field team of De La Salle University.
SOURCES:
List of Philippines Asian Games Medalists: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All-time_Asian_Games_medal_table
“Bumper of Bronzes”, The Sunday Times Magazine, 1 Jan.
1967, p. 20-23
“Long Distance to Fame”, The Sunday Times Magazine, 13
Oct. 1968, p. 18
“Stars in Sports”, The Sunday Rimes Magazine, 1 Jan.
1969, p 28
“Meet the Athletes”, The Sunday Times Magazine, 6 Dec.
1970, p. 6-7
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