THE UST Fencing squads held on to fourth place with a 1-1-6 gold-silver-bronze medal tally in the two-day UAAP fencing tournament at the Blue Eagle Gymnasium last Feb. 11-12.
Starting the preliminaries in good form, UST rammed into superior opposition in the ensuing matches and suffered dismal performances in some divisions to settle for a non-medal finish like last year.
The men’s and women’s foil team bowed out early in the competition. The foil teams suffered heartbreaking 43-44 and 40-42 losses to the Ateneo and the University of the Philipppines respectively.
Epee division head coach Arman Bernal, however, said the UST team was actually expecting the men’s team to score an upset against other squads.
“Nanghihinayang kami kasi akala namin puwedeng mag-champion ang men’s team,” Bernal said. Pero ‘yung champion na inaasahan namin, nauwi sa fourth place.”
Gian Carlo Nocom was the lone bright spot for the Tigers, winning UST’s only gold. The 23rd Southeast Asian Games silver medalist rallied past Ralph Ramos of the University of the Philippines (UP), 15-8, in the individual sabre event.
Thomasian Charles Anthony da Jose, meanwhile, took the bronze in the individual foil match after a close victory over Casmer Sandacan of the University of the East, 15-12. Da Jose, however, bowed to eventual Rookie of the Year Bryant Cabantac of Ateneo, 13-15, in the semifinals.
UST earned two more bronze medals in the men’s team divisions after surviving serious contention from Ateneo and UP in the epee and sabre matches.
UST edged Ateneo, 45-42, in the battle for third in the team epee division, while Nocom, along with Da Jose and Jhan Christer Catama, earned the other bronze after a hairline victory against UP, 45-44, in the sabre event.
In the individual epee division, UST bets Arnel Bernal and Albert Go failed to reach the quarterfinals.
University of the East topped all six competing teams in the men’s and women’s divisions, while Ateneo finished second in the women’s division, opposite Far Eastern University in the men’s side. UP was third in both divisions.
Nailed to second place
The Lady Fencers settled for a silver in the team sabre, falling to UE in the finals. Phenomenal newcomer Mary Rose Alfonso, who was later named Rookie of the Year-MVP, led UE in its 45-31 win over UST.
The towering Joana Perez, meanwhile, settled for third after losing to Ateneo’s Victoria Garcia, 7-15, in the individual sabre match.
Ma. Fatima Rebuyas, likewise, gave UST a bronze after nipping Ma. Cristina Samaco of Ateneo, 12-3, before bowing to division gold medalist Childy Elamparo of UP, 6-15, in the semis.
UST gained another bronze after a sweet 45-34 victory over Ateneo in the team epee division.
UST last gained a podium spot in Season 66, when it finished second.
