24/03/2026
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ง | ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ฎ๐-50 ๐๐ก๐ข๐๐ญ: ๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐๐ข๐ง๐๐ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐ฒ ๐๐๐๐๐ฆ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ฉ๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐๐ข๐ง๐
BY: JYSJ
The stopwatch doesnโt lie, but it also doesnโt tell the whole story. When the clock struck 49:56 in the 400m dash at the 2026 Northern Mindanao Regional Athletic Association (NMRAA) meet, it didnโt just signal a new personal best for Vince Laurence S. Lagunay. It signaled the arrival of a legend.
With two golds in the 100m and 400m dashes and a bronze in the 200m, Vince has officially cemented his status as the "Sprinter King" of NMRAA 2026. Yet, the journey to the top of the podium began not with a starter pistol, but with a pair of trailing footsteps and a teacher who saw a champion in the making.
๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ ๐ฆ๐ต๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ฆ๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐น๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐
In 2023, Vince was a 15-year-old watching from the sidelines as his brother competed in the regional meet in Lanao. Inspired by his brotherโs success and fueled by a simple, restless desire to see the world beyond his horizon, Vince decided he wanted a piece of the action.
"I also wanted to go to other places," Vince recalls. What started as joining his brother for morning jogs soon turned into a disciplined obsession. By 2024, the tag-along brother had transformed into a serious contender, clinching a bronze in the 400m and qualifying for his first Palarong Pambansa.
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฟ๐ฐ๐ต๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฆ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฑ
Behind every "Sprinter King" is a mentor who translates raw ambition into refined results. For Vince, that anchor is Mr. Jam Micate. A teacher at Sixto A. Abao National High School (SAANHS) who transitioned into the role of a coach, Micate has been the architect of Vinceโs rise.
๐๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐น๐ผ๐ฐ๐ธ
If 2024 was about showing up, 2026 was about taking over. The most striking part of Vinceโs evolution is his relentless improvement in the 400m dash. Vince reached a new milestone in the 2026 NMRAA 400m dash, clocking in at 49:56โshattering his 2025 record of 50:33.
Breaking the 50-second barrier is a massive milestone in high school athletics. It represents a year of grueling training, lung-bursting intervals, and the mental toughness to push when the legs feel like lead in the final 100 meters. For Coach Micate and Vince, those 0.77 seconds saved represent hundreds of hours of sweat on the pavement.
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฅ๐ผ๐ฎ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐น๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ผ
Now a three-time Palarong Pambansa qualifier, Vince is no longer the "first-timer" who entered the scene just two years ago. He carries the hopes of the entire Division of Camiguin on his shoulders.
His story is a reminder that while natural talent is a gift, the "Sprinter King" title was earned through the humble beginning of a boy who just wanted to keep up with his brother and a coach who knew he could lead the pack. As he prepares to represent Northern Mindanao on the national stage once again, one thing is certain: Vince Laurence Lagunay isn't just running for medals anymore. Heโs running for history.
