Miguel Lagac and Jan Cadee Dagoon launched their 2026 campaigns in emphatic fashion by sweeping three titles apiece in the Zopiya Morales National Juniors Tennis Championships at the Zentro clay courts in Apalit, Pampanga recently.
Fresh from strong finishes in the season-ending MAC’s Crank It National Junior Championships, Lagac proved his recent surge was no fluke, ruling the boys’ singles 16- and 18-and-under divisions in dominant style.
Ranked No. 5 in the 16-and-U class, the rising Cebuano star dismantled second seed Troan Vytiaco, 6-2, 6-0, in the quarterfinals, overwhelmed No. 3 Antonio Bengzon, 6-0, 6-1, in the semis, then shut out top seed Anthony Cosca, 6-0, 6-0, to clinch the title.
Lagac sustained his scorching form in the tougher 18-and-U division despite entering as an unseeded player. He blasted past second-ranked Felizardo Lota III, 6-1, 6-0, in the semis before repeating the feat against top seed Vytiaco, 6-0, 6-1, to secure his second straight MVP honor in the Group 2 tournament.
The event is part of the PPS-PEPP program spearheaded by president and CEO Bobby Castro, aimed not only at fostering competition but also at investing in the dreams and aspirations of young Filipino athletes nationwide.
Dagoon, who also captured MVP honors in the girls’ division of the MAC’s Crank It meet, matched Lagac’s two-title haul on her side of the draw. She toppled top seed and doubles partner Ayl Gonzaga, 6-0, 6-3, to win the girls’ 16-and-U crown, then asserted her mastery over her fellow Olongapo campaigner with a 6-3, 6-0 victory in the 18-and-U finals.
Lagac capped his campaign by teaming up with Elijah Okano to edge Cyrus Javier and Vytiaco, 8-6, in the boys’ 18-and-U doubles final. Meanwhile, Dagoon and Gonzaga completed a three-title sweep for the duo by surviving Dania Bulanadi and Athena Liwag, 8-7(5), in the girls’ doubles final.
The tournament was staged to nurture raw talent, open doors to new opportunities, and provide vital support for the next generation of champions, promoting perseverance, discipline, and sportsmanship – values that extend far beyond the court.
Other singles winners in the Philta-sanctioned event, supported by Dunlop, Universal Tennis, ICON Golf & Sports, and the Palawan Group of Companies, were Pangasinan’s Jairus Peralta, Olongapo’s Yuan Torrente, Makati’s Lilith Rufino, and Iloilo’s Donarose Olavides.
Peralta stunned top seed Tyronne Caro, 7-5, 6-3, in the semis before turning back doubles partner Torrente, 7-6(4), 6-3, to claim the boys’ 14-and-U title. Torrente later secured the boys’ 12-and-U crown with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Liam Harrow.
Rufino dominated Liwag, 6-2, 6-2, to capture the girls’ 14-and-U title, while Olavides mounted a gritty comeback to outlast Kyla Caguioa, 1-6, 6-1, 7-6(8), in the girls’ 18-and-U final.
In doubles play, Peralta and Torrente ruled the boys’ 14-and-U division with an 8-7(5) victory over Caro and Avriel Panaligan. Sofia Aguilera and Liwag claimed the girls’ doubles crown with an 8-2 romp over Carolina Fandino and Rufino, while Joaquin Dacyon and Liwag clinched the mixed doubles title via an 8-7(7) decision over Peralta and Alexa Morales.
