PR men’s basketball team beats DR to win gold at CAC Games

Puerto Rico athletes earned three medals in track & field, two silvers and a bronze, on Monday.

Mercado is repeat champion in 50-meter three-position rifle

By THE STAR STAFF

The Puerto Rico delegation added five medals to its tally on Monday at the 25th Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games (Santo Domingo 2026) -- securing two golds, two silvers and a bronze -- while also clinching new qualifications across several disciplines.

Yarimar Mercado successfully defended her CAC title in the 50-meter three-position rifle event by winning the gold medal with a score of 339 points, while the men’s basketball team finished the tournament undefeated, defeating the Dominican Republic 94-75 in the final to claim the gold medal.

Island athletes earned three medals in track & field. Gladymar Torres won silver in the 100-meter dash with a time of 11.22 seconds; the mixed 4×400 relay team -- comprising José Figueroa, Andrea Riera, Jarell Cruz and Gabriella Scott -- also took silver; and Marcus Gelpi won bronze in the high jump with a height of 2.17 meters.

In team sports, the women’s volleyball team secured its first victory by beating Costa Rica 3-0, while the men’s handball team defeated the Dominican Republic 27-25 to advance to the semifinals undefeated. The women’s field hockey team finished in sixth place after a 2-1 loss to the Dominican Republic.

In individual events, Coralis Cruz guaranteed herself at least a bronze medal by advancing to the boxing semifinals in the 57-kilogram category. In sailing, several Puerto Rican boats positioned themselves well for the next round: Ramón González Bennazar and Virginia Carrero Araujo held first place in the mixed two-person event, and Sebastián Medina led the men’s individual dinghy class.

The delegation also competed in fencing, triathlon, equestrian sports and artistic gymnastics. Mya Hernández concluded her run in the individual foil event, the mixed relay team wrapped up the triathlon competition, the equestrian team placed fifth in the qualifying round, and the women’s artistic gymnastics team finished fifth in the team competition.