THE UST delegation in the University Games did not quite enjoy a very successful stint, but the performance was nonetheless satisfactory.
“Some teams performed beyond expectation,” said Felix Michael Silbor, Institute of Physical Education and Athletics (IPEA) moderator.
In the tournament staged from Oct. 22-29 in Bacolod City, UST sent 10 teams to participate in six events and although only two teams managed to grab the championship, the Tigers registered a good number of respectable finishes across their names.
The University Games, according to Silbor, will also help UST in gauging its chances in second semester events of the UAAP Season 67 that starts early next year.
Badminton
Back-to-back.
This was the story for the Tiger Shuttlecockers in the recent University Games in Bacolod City as they snatched the championship for the second consecutive time.
The tournament saw UST outplay other contenders and upset defending UAAP champions Far Eastern University (FEU).
In the first singles match, Christopher Flores routed Tiger Ryan Conde after two sets, 15-6, 15-4. The loss put UST in a must-win situation in the ensuing events.
National team mainstays Reynaldo Selga and Ricky Bartolome did not disappoint the Tigers, pulling a sweet victory against Tamaraws Ato Natividad and R. Ricson. The Tigers dominated the sets and effortlessly registered a 15-3, 15-3 win.
Bartolome, although pushed into a do-or-die situation, displayed tough form and hauled a 15-5, 15-9 victory over Natividad in the second singles encounter.
UST earned a seat in the finals after sweeping the eliminations. The España-based shuttlecockers stunned Bacolod Riverside College, Siliman University, and Marawi State University in the elimination round.
Iloilo Doctors College suffered the same fate and bowed to UST in the semifinals.
The squad of head coach Noli Cajefe were champions in the University Games at La Salle Dasmariñas, Cavite last year.
The Female Shuttlecockers, on the other hand, settled for third place norm after being denied a finals berth. In the semifinals, UST was trounced by tournament champions Ateneo de Manila University.
UST’s Sandy Banquiles was outsmarted by Aurora Co in the first singles match, 7-11, 8-11. The tandem of rookie Rose Anne dela Cruz and veteran Kathleen Añasco failed to pull off an all-important win after losing to Irene Chua and Andrea Go in the doubles event.
The Female Shuttlecockers also finished third in the tournament last year.
Taekwondo
Three freshman students brought honors to the 10-man Tiger Jin contingent.
Freshman Jurrie Bernardino from the Institute of Physical Education and Athletics (IPEA) grabbed the silver in the finweight division after being defeated by a University of Mindanao stalwart. Bernardino secured a lock on the silver after defeating a UP Diliman jin in the semi-finals.
Flyweight Ray Vincent David, also a freshman from IPEA, snagged a bronze medal after creaming counterparts from the Central Philippine University – Iloilo and Holy Angel University in the quarterfinals. David’s streak however, ended when a Ateneo de Manila University player beat him in their semi-final match.
Kelvin Tabago, a freshman from the College of Science, captured a bronze in the featherweight category after using to a University of the East jin in their quarterfinal match.
Volleyball
The Tiger Spikers settled behind reigning UAAP champs Tamaraws after losing their finals match, 23-25, 25-27, 24-26 in the 2004 University Games.
Tamaraw skipper and UAAP Most Valuable Player Rolan Macahia dismantled UST’s frontliners, who lacked the veteran services of center spiker Nimrod Ruelos. Team captain Christian Fernandez provided for UST court leadership and ball control to keep pace with the George Pascua-led Tams. But the Tigers’ unforced errors in the homestretch spelled the difference in the tightly fought match.
The semi-finals round was a reunion of sorts for participating UAAP schools including University of the Philippines (UP) and Adamson University (AdU).
The UST spikers earned a ticket to the Finals via a victory over bitter rivals UP Maroons in their lone semis battle. The Diliman-based squad eventually won the battle for third place against AdU.
“Panahon na raw para bumawi kami sabi ni coach,” said third year player Carlo Lubi. “But he also reminded us to enjoy our games.”
Indeed, the Tiger Spikers had a blast in the eliminations and quarterfinals as they breezed past opponents including St. Louis College-Baguio, Colegio de San Agustin-Bacolod, and San Beda College all in three-setter demolitions, except for University of San Jose-Recoletos, which they subdued only in the fifth set.
Track and Field
The UST Tiger Tracksters further proved that they are a force to reckon with in the coming UAAP athletic wars as they took a bucketful of seven gold and two silvers.
Track veteran Liza Yambao once again asserted her supremacy as she took the gold in the 3,000- and 5,000-meter runs.
Bernadette Mag-aso took the gold in the 1,500-meter run and bagged the silver in the 3,000-meter run.
Leslie Cercado snatched the gold in the long jump, while Abigail Panopio snagged the gold in the shot put.
Jonel Pamandanan captured the gold in the javelin throw, while Benigno Marayag seized the gold in the triple jump and settled for the silver in the long jump.
The University Games drew 20 participating schools from around the country, were divided into brackets of five, and were eliminated in a one-loss-out basis. Icy M. Luzano, Karla Tricia V. Magno, and Jose Bimbo F. Santos
