Rising stars in the Philippine pole vault scene will be in the spotlight this Saturday, as they take part in the National Pole Vault Competition of the Atletang Ayala World Pole Vault Challenge.
Rising stars in the Philippine pole vault scene are set to take flight at the Ayala Triangle on Saturday, September 20, 2025, as they open the two-day Atletang Ayala World Pole Vault Challenge.
The National Pole Vault Competition (NPVC) will gather up-and-coming Filipino athletes for a showdown in the heart of Makati City on the eve of the Atletang Ayala World Pole Vault Challenge.
More than just an undercard, the NPVC gives local athletes an opportunity to test their mettle at a world-class pole vault venue. They will get to test out the runway and crossbar ahead of international athletes competing in the main event on Sunday, sanctioned by World Athletics.
Competing in the Men’s Division are Hokett Delos Santos and Janry Ubas, both seen to follow in the footsteps of Filipino pole vault star EJ Obiena.
Delos Santos counts EJ Obiena’s father, athlete Emerson Obiena, as his mentor. An all-around track and field athlete, Delos Santos has also competed in decathlon, hurdles, long jump, high jump, javelin throw, and shot put. In 2022, he won a silver medal for the Philippines in the 31st Southeast Asian Games in Vietnam.
Also in the roster is bemedalled athletics champion Janry Ubas, who has hauled honors for the country in the Southeast Asian Games for various events including long jump, heptathlon, and decathlon.
Competing alongside them are Sean Harry Narag and Mejen Sumbongan, who have both been training under coach Emerson Obiena.
Narag is the 2023 Palarong Pambansa pole vault champion, while Sumbongan has won silver medals in the 2024 Philippine National Games and UAAP Season 87.
John Philip Villar, a UAAP Junior Record holder, is also in the competition. He just started training for pole vault in 2024 and is already showing strong potential.
Filipino-American Enzo Sison, meanwhile, flew in from the United States to compete in his homeland.
The Women’s Division also has its own share of rising stars.
On the list is Filipino-American Alyana Nicolas, who has been competing in pole vault for nearly 13 years.
Trained by Filipino pole vault Olympian Ed Lasquete, Nicolas won the Bronze medal for pole vault in the 2023 Southeast Asian Games. She flew in to join the competition.
Several of the athletes have won medals in the UAAP and Philippine Athletics Championships, among them Jia Kawachi, Jessa Marie Libres, Khrizzie Ruzol, and Isabella Louie Sta. Maria.
Riezel Buenaventura, also coached by Emerson Obiena, has been training in the sport for nearly two decades. In 2024, she won a silver at the World Masters Athletics Championships in Sweden.
Also flying in from the US is Filipino-American Amy Christensen, a silver medalist in the 2025 Philippine National Championships.
The National Pole Vault Competition will be livestreamed on the Make It Makati Facebook page.
For more information about the event, visit https://worldpolevaultph.com/.