HIGHLIGHTING the maiden week-long celebration of the Institute of Physical Education and Athletics (IPEA), the UST Fencing Team held the University banner sky-high above other schools in the first-ever Tiger Cup Fencing Tournament last Mar. 5 at the Engineering Complex.
Dominating the competition of amateur fencers from different schools and universities around Metro Manila, the Thomasian fencers garnered a whopping six gold medals tally, six silvers and four bronzes.
Women’s epee and Saber events fueled the Tiger gold rush that toppled seasoned fencers from the University of the East, University of the Philippines, and Ateneo de Manila University.
Claiming the Ladies epee event for UST, the Lady Fencers returned every attack the opposition threw at them and swept all medals at stake in the individuals competition. Thomasian fencers Harlene Orendain, Catherine Kong, and Justine Gambioza won the gold, silver. and bronze medals.
Things were no different in the women’s epee team tussle as the Tigresses effortlessly disposed the feeble stand of the hapless Far Eastern University team.
In the saber events, UST suffered a minor setback after Tiger fencer Marc Leoncio yielded a hotly contested men’s saber championship match to Ateneo’s Ryan Bautista. But the Tigers immediately bounced back in the team competitions as the Male Fencers whipped FEU in a convincing fashion.
Like in the women’s epee, it was also a total domination for the Lady Fencers in the newly included Women’s Saber event. Lady Fencer Jenny Rose Lui won top honors in the individual competitions, while My My Siminic and Ritchie Ramos completed the medal romp with silver and bronze.
In team competitions, the powerhouse troika of Lui, Siminic and Ramos was just too good for the field as the UST team brushed off the Tamaraw’s bleak stand in the Women’s Saber team championship.
Tiger foil ace Crisanto Tarce provided the last count of the UST gold rush in his victory over UE’s Joel Lanchico in the Men’s Foil Individuals finals. Headed by Tarce, the UST Foil team put on a worthy fight against a fancied Warrior’s team, but came up short in the end to settle for silver in the team competitions.
In the Ladies’ foil event, Tigresses Maria Christina Suba, Maricel Tacayon, and Cristina dela Cueva exacted sweet revenge against the Lady Maroons as the UST team beat their UAAP tormentor in the semifinals. But up against a veteran UE squad in the finals, the Tigresses settled for silver after yielding a 45-21 decision in the Women’s Foil team finals.
In foil individual events, Marc Madrazo and de la Cueva contributed bronze finishes to power UST’s spectacular Tiger Cup showing.
