The UST Male Woodpushers ended the UAAP Season 88 blitz elimination round as the top-seeded team after maintaining their flawless run on Day 2 at the Adamson Gym on Saturday, April 11.
The Male Woodpushers swept the Adamson Soaring Falcons, 4-0, before defeating the De La Salle University (DLSU) Woodpushers, 2.5-1.5, in their second match.
UST topped the division with 10 match points, followed by the Far Eastern University (FEU) Tamaraws and DLSU Woodpushers, who finished the eliminations with seven match points each.
Heading into the Final Four, the No. 1 Male Woodpushers are set to face the No. 4 University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons in the semifinals on Sunday afternoon.
Season 88 standard chess MVP Chester Reyes and Christian Mark Daluz both secured seven wins in eight games on Day 2. Reyes and Daluz now have 18.5 and 17.5 points, respectively, after two days of competition.
FEU’s Mark Bacojo leads the division with 19 points in 20 games.
Meanwhile, Carl Daluz picked up 6.5 points in two rounds. Vince Pascual posted three points, followed by Lee Palma, who secured one win during the second match against La Salle’s Karlycris Clarito.
In the boys’ division, the UST Junior Male Woodpushers, who won the inaugural blitz chess title last year, booked their second straight finals appearance after sweeping the Ateneo Blue Eagles, 4-0, and following it up with a 3-1 win over the FEU-Diliman Baby Tamaraws.
The Junior Male Woodpushers sit atop the standings with 10 match points, followed by FEU-D with eight.
Jian Rivera kept a clean slate against Ateneo and FEU-D, earning seven wins to collect 14.5 points in 16 games, while teammate King Lanz Pamplona followed with 13 points through 16 outings.
Gabriel Paradero and John Borce both ended the stage with 7.5 points in 12 games.
John Adonairam finished the second day unscathed, winning all four of his matches against De La Salle-Zobel’s Alain Cabodil.
The Junior Male Woodpushers will meet No. 2 FEU-D again in the finals on Sunday afternoon.
