44. ANTONIO ALO and his Vaults of Gold, 1919-1925

When the Americans introduced Athletics to Filipinos, they included Field Events (hence, Track and Field) that included throwing (classic discus, shotput, javelin) and jumping events like  broad jump, hop, skip and jump, standing long jump (now the high jump) and the Pole Vault. These are less popular as they don’t elicit the same energy level from the crowds as the sprint races; they take awhile to finish. Yet, a Field Event Gold is worth the same as a Gold won in the more glamorous century dash or hurdles.

In forming their track teams, national coaches scouted schools for students with certain body types  adapted for  jumping, leaping (tall, slim, with springy legs) and throwing (hefty, muscled, stocky, yet nimble). It was in this way that in the 1917 Far East Games in Japan, the coaches discovered 2 boys who had these built and trained them for the Pole Vault, an ancient sport known during the medieval days.

JUSTO LLANES, 20, at 5’7”, was from Bangued, Abra. He was tall and long-limbed,  and even his face was described as “long and oval”. From Cebu, Cebu came 19 year old ANTONIO ALO (b. 10 May 1898), an inch shorter, and described as “round-faced”. The 2 students were named to the National Athletic Team, and set for Japan on 23 April 1917. On board the ship “Panay”. These two young athletes thus became the first known Filipino Pole Vaulters to compete in the internationa; arena, at the 1917 Far Eastern Championships.

It was Llanes, however, who reached the finals, medalling behind Tang Ichung (CHN) who cleared 3.15 m., followed by another Chinese, Kuo Chiaoyen, with 3.07 m. Llanes (PHI) did not even exceed the 3 m. mark, clearing only 2.99 m., but still enough for the Bronze. The dejected Alo, still a teen,  came home without a medal in his first Far East Games campaign.

He would come back with vengeance for the 1919 Far East Games in Manila, and this time, the young adult, now more confident and better-trained,  snatched the Gold, the first of 3 he would capture  in the most prestigious sporting event of Asia. In fact, 3 Filipinos ruled the Pole Vault finals led by Alo with a 3.31 m. leap—a new games record. Faustino Carlos and a certain Puno—both Filipinos finished 2-3, but their jumps went unrecorded

The 3 Filipinos would defend their titles at the 1921 Far East Games—with the beanpole Alo, again, smashing his own record with an incredible vault of 3.51 m. (.20 cm. better) . Carlos repeated his Silver finish, a a new rising vaulter, Carlos Nicolas, claimed the Bronze. In the same games, Alo was deployed to the Shot Put event as well—a throwing event, yet remarkably, he placed third (12. 55 m) , behind PH teammate Moises Lucas (12.72 m.) and Japanese winner Masasuke Nakamura (JPN), 12.83 m.

At the 1923 Far East Games in Japan, Alo suffered a temporary setback,  slipping to 2^nd place with a leap of (3.32 m.), same height as the Filipino third placer, Mala, who di 3.32 with more attempts. The winner, Japanese Yonetaro Nakazawa (JPN) made it to 3.40 m, good for Gold, leaving Alo’s best mark of 3.51 unscathed,        

His 5^th and last appearance in the Far East Games would come in Manila in 1925. And what a way to finish his sterling pole vaulting career. Four proud Filipinos claimed all the podium spots with Alo and the sensational Numeriano Tagavilla sharing the Gold with the same cleared height of 3.415 m. Sharing Silver were Carlos Mejillano and Miguel Sujeco (PHI) who managed  3.35 m.

 In all, Alo’s stash were 3 Golds, 1 Silver for Pole Vault, and 1 Bronze, for the unlikely sport of Shotput, making him the most successful vaulter ever at the regional games, pre-cursor of the Asian Games. Alo receded quietly from the limelight after that, and no more was heard of him.The champion pole vaulter, untouchable in his heyday, blazed trails in heightening the awareness for this sometimes lonely, tedious, and repetitive jumping sport until Ernest John Obiena proved that Filipinos, despite their short stature., could stand tall and compete with the best jumpers in the world.

SOURCES:

Passport Applications - Philippine Islands, Volume 24 (5350-5599)

Far East Championships, http://www.gbrathletics.com/ic/fec.htm

“The pre-war star athletes of Cebu (Part I)”, CEBUPEDIA - Clarence Paul Oaminal - The Freeman , 9 Sep. 2016

Athletics at the 1921 Far Eastern Championship Games, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athletics_at_the_1921_Far_Eastern_Championship_Games

8. Heights of Triumph, Depths of Tragedy: MIGUEL SUJECO, Champion Pole Vaulter

It is to Ernest “E.J.” Obiena’s credit that Pole Vaulting has become more well-known to Filipino sports audience today. It is a field event that really does not hold much local attraction as previous winners have all been mostly Russians, Europeans and Americans. Obiena’s climb up the athletic rankings-- as high as the second best vaulter in the world, plus his 4^th place finish at his 2^nd Olympic appearance, has done much to elevate the appeal of the sport.

But long before Obiena’s spectacular ascent to pole vault stardom, Filipinos have been outperforming their Asian counterparts in the said discipline for decades, especially in the regional Far Eastern Games that began in 1913. Record books from that era show the names of champion pole vaulters  like Antonio Alo (2-time Gold medalist, FEG 1919, 1921), Numeriano Tagavilla (FEG Gold, 1925), Carlos Mejillano, T. Bucoy, S. Siao, Felipe Asuncion, and the tragic subject of this article, Miguel Sujeco.

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MIGUEL F. SUJECO (b. 29 Sep. 1910) was one of 4 children of Victoriano Sujeco and Modesta de la Fuente with roots in San Miguel, Bulacan and ties to Nueva Ecija. As a student, he trained in athletics and did the rounds of running, throwing and jumping events. Pole vault must have been his calling as at age 15, he was sent to the 1925 Far Eastern Games in Manila held in May--and surprised everyone in his first multi-nation sports outing by winning the Bronze Medal behind co-gold medalists Numeriano Tagavilla and Antonio Alo, clearing the bar at 3.35 meters (10.990 ft.).

No sooner had he settled back to school when, the next year,  he was called again to represent Nueva Ecija at the 1926 Central Luzon Athletic Association Meet. This was an annual meet with events contested by athletes from Pampanga, Bulacan, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, and Central Luzon Agricutural School (C.L.A.S.). Entered in the Pole Vault, Sujeco cleared the height of 3.395 meters or 11 feet ¼ inch, which was better than his winning jump at the Far Eastern Games . This became an all-time record of the CLAA meet where it stood for over a decade.

In 1927, he was back at age 17 for the Far Eastern Championship Games in Shanghai, China. The teener improved on his leap,  resetting his personal best to 3.60 meters (11.811 ft), winning the Silver medal behind Japan’s Yonetaro Nakazawa who cleared the height of 3.675 m. and became an Olympian.

When he came of age, Sujeco joined the 47^th Infantry Regiment (Philippine Scouts) of the U.S. Army, just like top athletes David Nepomuceno and  Miguel White. He continued training and competing in national meets. At the first tryout matches held at the Rizal Memorial in April 1934, he broke the 12 foot barrier by clearing 12 ft. 1 inch.

In the first week of May, Sujeco was named to the Phil Track and Field team to compete at the 1934 Far Eastern Games in Manila, which went underway from May 16 to 20. Japan’s Sueo Oue copped the gold at 3.96 m (12.992 ft.) , China’s Fu Baolu 2^nd, ad another Japanese, Iwao Matsumoto 3^rd.

Not to be daunted, at the 1936 Army Track Meet (or McKinley Games) held in December, Sujeco broke the Philippine pole vault  record, resetting it to 3.895 meters (12 .78 inches) that would have won Silver at the 1934 FEG.

Another milestone in Sujeco’s life happened the next year, when he married 19 year old Rosario Hamoy Labisig on 20 January 1937.Sadly, they would barely have 5 years of connubial bliss. When World War II reached the Philippines in 1942, Miguel Sujeco was called into active service.

As a member of the  57th Infantry (PS), he was in the regiment that tried to repel the Japanese all throughout the Bataan Peninsula. He was reported missing in action, and then presumed to have died on 23 May 1942. Sgt. Miguel Sujeco’s name is inscribed on the “Walls of the Missing” memorial  at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in the capital district. Leaping all his life to reach the sky, pole vaulter Miguel Sujeco, by his tragic, but honorable death, has vaulted to immortality.

SOURCES:

Central Luzon Athletic Association Program 1934-1935

The Tribune, various issues: 5 Feb. 1934;  2 April 1934, p.7; 20 April 1934, p.6; 8 May 1934, 9 May 1934, p. 9; p. 9; 21 June 1935, p.6; 25 Oct. 1934;

La Vanguardia, 25 April 1935, Rotogravure section

FindAGrave, Miguel Sujeco

American Battles Monument Commission, https://www.abmc.gov/decedent-search/sujeco%3Dmiguel

Gloria Garchitorena-Goloy, Golden Era of Sports, SPORTS ISSUE, Sunday Times Magazine, Sept. 1963, p. 14

Athletics at the 1925 Far Eastern Games, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athletics_at_the_1925_Far_Eastern_Championship_Games