UST HAS scored a bittersweet finish in the UAAP taekwondo tournament—while the Lady Jins reclaimed the crown, the Tiger Jins fell short on what could have been a third consecutive title.
The Lady Jins snatched the crown from defending champion Far Eastern University (FEU), while their male counterparts succumbed to the De La Salle University at The Arena in San Juan last October 2.
The Lady Jins were declared champs via a “win-over-the-other-team” rule that settled a three-way tie that also included FEU and La Salle, all with identical 4-1 records. La Salle placed third with 23 individual awards.
Prior to the verdict, UST and FEU engaged in a sudden-death championship match with FEU’s Winlove dela Cerna prevailing over Lady Jin Monica Reyeg, 0-1.
UST veteran Caryn Pilongo levelled the game at 1-all against Beatrice Anne Ventura, 10-5, highlighted by a gutsy head kick.
The Lady Jins immediately took the lead courtesy of RP team member Jade Zafra, who pulverized Crizabelle Gayle Vargas, 7-1.
Tying the match at 2-2 was FEU’s Karla Jane Alava, who unleashed a series of 45-degree kicks against rookie Claudette Rosales, 2-18.
Team captain Emron Mae Golding came from behind in the next match to demolish FEU’s Ashiel Ann Vedana with her turning sidekicks, 18-5.
UST’s Camille Manalo stamped her class in the welterweight division by trouncing Sarah Gill, 7-1, while middleweight Izel Masungsong ended the nail-biter round, launching her feisty 45-degree kicks to the body of Marifi Gadit, 6-5.
“The level of our players with FEU is pretty much the same but technique-wise and composure, I think we got it,” said coach Jasmin Simpao.
Now on her last playing year, Manalo bagged the MVP plum while Rosales was named Rookie of the Year.
“Camille (Manalo) deserves to have that MVP award because she won all her matches and it’s her last year,” said Simpao.
Manalo snatched a gold for the welterweight category while Zafra ruled in the bantamweight division. Golding and Pilongo pocketed a pair of silver medals in the welterweight and flyweight divisions, respectively, where Rosales copped a bronze in the featherweight category.
“They (team) know for a fact that the particular match is the most important because the result will determine will get the championship. From there, we give out all our hundred percent,” said Simpao.
Odd man out
The injury-plagued Tiger Jins failed to carve a grand slam dynasty after bowing down to La Salle, which ended the season with a sweep.
Finweight Karl Espiritu and flyweight Nicole Mapilisan were unable to compete in the finals due to injuries. Espiritu suffered a fractured arm while Mapilisan had a fractured anterior cruciate ligament during their previous match against FEU.
“There were no alternate players for the first two weight divisions because our alternates were suited for other divisions,” head coach Dindo Simpao said.
Bantamweight Paul Romero opened the finals with a sudden-death match, but was toppled by De La Salle’s Wilson Dumo with a head kick, 3-0.
John Paul Garcia was just as hard-lucked in the featherweight match against John Amiel Valencia, landing only a side kick and turning 45, but was still outclassed by Valencia the whole match, 2-8.
The do-or-die match of Tiger Jin Dane Pio de Roda in the lightweight division caused an outrage after a wild call by the referee awarding his opponent, Xavier Philippe Stepanek the one-point buffer, which accounted for De La Salle’s win via a controversial head kick, 7-6.
Coach Dindo Simpao contended the referee’s call, saying that the kick went over Pio de Roda’s head but was overruled. As a result, the team did not show up for the awarding ceremony.
Meanwhile, the UST’s Junior Jins managed to hold on to their back-to-back crown after sweeping the tournament with a flawless 5-0 win-loss card.
Jeicco Lozano was named MVP, while Joaquin Mendoza finished as the best rookie.
