FOR THE fifth consecutive season, the UST Female Tracksters were denied the championship by top contender Far Eastern University (FEU) in the Season 72 UAAP Track and Field Games last February 4 to 7 at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.
UST’s 253 points from an 11-5-5 gold-silver-bronze output was not enough to dethrone “seven-peat” titlist FEU, which was comfortably ahead with 304 points. University of the East (UE) settled at third place with 106 points.
But the Tracksters, the 2009 University Games champions, did not go home broke with virtuoso performances in the individual arena. Rookie of the Year Serenata Saluan, who bagged the Most Valuable Player plum in her maiden year, accounted for seven out of UST’s 10 gold medals.
Saluan topped the 400-meter dash (00:56.98), 3,000-meter steeplechase (11:56.12), 800-meter run (02:10.08), and 1,500-meter run (04:43.36).
She also broke UAAP meet records in the 5,000-meter run (18:38.6), 10,000-meter run (41:44.35), and 4×400-meter relay with Keizel Pedrina and sisters Ma. De la Paz and Vienna Mae Banebane clocking in 03:54.54.
“I just did what coach Manny Calipes said. I applied (in the tournament what I learned in) our one-year training and did it for the team to gain confidence,” Saluan said.
Veteran Ma. Dela Paz Banebane seized a gold, silver, and bronze in the 400-meter low hurdles (01:03.18), coughed up 100-meter high hurdles (00:15.46), and 400-meter dash (00:58.76), respectively. Pedrina also claimed a gold, silver, and bronze each in the 200-meter (00:26.03), 400-meter dash (00:58.07), and 100-meter high hurdles (01:03.66).Relying on team chemistry, the Thomasian quartet of Luville Dato-on, Pedrina, Banebane and Meriam Colangoy smoked the competition in the 4×100-meter relay, with an impressive time of 00:48.72 seconds. Not to be left behind, team captain Dato-on grabbed a gold in the long jump (5.56 meter) and silver in the triple jump (11.44 meter) categories, contributing a bronze for the 100-meter dash events (00:12.53) as well.
Janice Marquez placed second and third in the 5000-meter (30:57.19) and 3000-meter (17:33.14) walks, respectively, while Colangoy pocketed the bronze in javelin throw (34.95 meter).
Bridesmaids no more
While the Female Tracksters had trouble hitting the jackpot, the UST Male Tracksters dropped from second place last season to fourth place this year with 149 points, behind second runner-up Ateneo de Manila University’s 152 points, defending champion FEU’s 189 points, and eventual champion UE, with 202 points. Fielding an incomplete lineup, UST was good only for a 3-4-8 gold-silver-bronze medal haul, compared to last year’s 8-6-4 tally.
Replaying his twin-gold charge in the Unigames, Roger Denolo ruled both the 3,000-meter steeplechase (09:58.85) and 5,000-meter run (15:57.39). Johnny España placed third by clocking 16:00.09 and 16:90.98 in the same events, respectively.
Edgar Bardel secured UST’s last gold medal by ruling the 10,000-meter walk (50:09.50) and claimed silver in the 5,000-meter walk (25:40.76). Male Trackster Ernie Sabiduria’s throws were good for silver and bronze in the discus (38.22 meter) and javelin throw (50.86 meter) events, respectively. Denolo and Emmanuel de los Angeles took second place in 10,000-meter run (33:56.72) and long jump (6.47 meters), respectively, while Jordan Paul Billones captured a double-bronze spell in 800-meter (01:56.14) and 1500-meter (04:06.92). Robin Tuliao and Dominic Go snatched a bronze medal apiece in 110-meter high hurdles (00:15.60) and hammer throw (30.71m), respectively.
The Espana-based crew of Billones, Michael Baay, Mark Madera and Cresol Sajuela teamed up in the 4×400-meter relay for a silver finish.
