30/08/2026
Injuries, school disappointments, and bad weather tried to write Jehjireh Alcantara off. Earlier this year, he clocked an 11.20 to qualify for the U20 men's 100m final at the Philippines National Open in New Clark City, but pulled his hamstring in the race, rendering which made his other events really non eventful.
(Though prior to that, a massive highlight of his season was running a blistering 11.05 personal best to claim a magnificent win in the men's B-race at Pinoy Athletics Round 4 in Pasig on April 21.)
While we truly appreciate NU SHS helping Jehj graduate, it was deeply disappointing to find out the NU college team simply didn't have the space to recruit him, leaving him disillusioned and heading back home to Bicol.
Due to the depth of battle experienced talent such as Neil Catral, Eli England and upcomers Ken Yoshida it was going to be almost impossible for Jehj to break into the senior ranks next year in his first year senior.
Recognizing those heavy hitters left zero room at the top, the post-nationals advice was to pivot his direction and focus to the Long Jump which has available spots.
Training under Coach Enzo's Pinoy Athletics Program since 2024—the same year he hauled in a bronze medal in both the 100m and long jump at the Batang Pinoy—he heavily prioritized sprints over jumps, yet still clawed out a 6.8% improvement. Now, the target shifts: a laser focus primarily on the long jump to chase a 7.15m qualifying mark for the national open, demanding a 4% increase in just 9 months.
The universe threw all its s**t at Jehj, but he showed the world the middle finger and fought right back, throwing down a massive 6.87m personal best in the long jump and a 22.3 hand-timed 200m. Catch him next in action on September 12 at the weekly relays.
