BRIDESMAIDS no more.
The UST Male Fencers finally got over the proverbial glass ceiling, posting a 3-1-2 gold-silver-bronze medal tally en route to the UAAP Fencing crown, their first since the sport was introduced in 2000, last February 9-10 at the Blue Eagle Gym.
Season 70 MVP Jose Miguel Cagalingan lived up to his name as the league’s top swordsman with a methodical 15-13 nipping of UP fencer Joshua Paunil in a nerve-wracking finals encounter for the individual foil title.
Prior to barging into the finals, Cagalingan repulsed Far Easter University’s Don Decena and John Quirit, 15-9 and 15-8, respectively.
In team foil, the Male Fencers eked out a 35-34 squeaker over the University of the East to bag the gold. Heading into the finals, UST posted a 45-29 shellacking of Ateneo De Manila University.
Season 69 titleholder Arnel Bernal captured his second consecutive individual epee crown via a 15-8 finals drubbing of FEU’s Freder Metcha.
Going into the championship, Bernal ousted fellow Thomasian and Season 69 Rookie-of the-year Harry Orendain, 15-6, and Ateneo’s Justin Raagas, 15-8.
Hard luck
While their male counterparts improved from last season’s second-place finish, the UST Lady Fencers still languished at fourth for the third straight year with a 0-3-1 gold-silver-bronze medal output.
UST’s brightest spots in the individual events came from the Joanna Perez and Ma. Fatima Rebuyas who each captured a silver in the individual sabre and epee events respectively.
Perez, who earlier disposed of UE’s, Czarina Arandia (15-12) in the semifinals and Michaela Gapuz (15-14) in the first round, fell to her victims’ teammate – Season 68 Rookie of the Year Mary Rose Alfonso, 12-15, to settle for the silver.
Ditto with Perez, Rebuyas also tumbled against a UE fencer, Season 69 MVP Michelle Bruzola who dealt her a 13-15 beating in the finals. Before facing Bruzola, Rebuyas subdued UP’s Ma. Esperanza Bregendahl, 15-13, and Childy Elamparo, 17-15.
In team sabre, the Lady Fencers finished behind eventual champion UP after yielding a close 42-45 decision moments after trouncing FEU, 45-23, in the earlier rounds.
