THE FEMALE Tracksters again settled for a runner-up finish next to Far Eastern University, which seized its eight straight title in the UAAP meet.
The women’s team landed in the same spot for the sixth consecutive season after a 6-7-9 gold-silver-bronze medal output during the Season 73 track and field competition from January 26 to 31 at the PhilSports Complex in Pasig.
The Male Tracksters improved on their fourth-place finish last season by placing third this year with three gold medals, four silver, and three bronze.
The Female Tracksters scored a total of 252 points behind FEU’s 330. The University of the East (UE) was third with 102 points.
Season 70 Rookie of the Year Luville Dato-on led charge for UST by dominating in the long jump event with 5.49 meters, while Viena Mae Banebane topped the 100-meter hurdles (15.1). Keizel Pedriña and Janice Marquez finished first in the 400-meter run (57.3) and 5000-meter walk (30:40.7) respectively.
The UST quartet of Dato-on, Banebane, Pedriña and team captain Meriam Colangoy won gold in the 4×100-meter relay by clocking in 48.3 seconds. Except Colangoy who was replaced by Manilyn Clavejo, the same group also topped the 4×400-meter relay (3:57.5)
Pedriña grabbed a triple silver in the 200-meter dash (25.6), 400-meter hurdles (1:03.1) and 800-meter run (2:17.6). Dato-on and Marquez bagged silver medals apiece in the 100-meter dash (12.1) and 3000-meter walk (17:21.2), respectively while Raquel del Socorro placed second in the 5000-meter walk (31:15.0). Joy Albinio also placed second to FEU’s Mirasol Merto in the heptathlon events with 3589 points.
Banebane brought home three bronze medals in the 100-meter dash (12.2), 200-meter dash (25.7) and 400-meter run (58.5) while Colangoy collected twin bronzes in the javelin throw (35.16) and heptathlon (3395 points).
Del Socorro, Jilla dela Rosa and Trecia Ricalde got their share of bronze medals each in the 3000-meter walk (17:46.2), 1500-meter run (4:48.1) and hammer throw (29.71) events, respectively.
Up a notch
The Male Tracksters finally barged into the Top 3 with 156 points. A lone point separated champion FEU and runner-up UE, which scored 202 and 201, respectively.
UST’s medal tally was far from its off-season performance in the 2010 Philippine Inter-Collegiate Athletics Meet (PICAM) wherein the team emerged as champions.
Promising rookie Rizal Kasim, along with James Borres and Edgar Bardel, brought the three gold medals for UST in the javelin throw (54.34), triple jump (13.69) and 5000-meter walk (24:15.5) events, respectively.
Bardel placed second in the 10000-meter walk (52:24.2) to chip in another medal for UST while Ernie Sabiduria’s throw of the javelin at 49.02 also landed him at second.
Team captain Emmanuel delos Angeles and Michael Baay contributed two more silvers in the 110-meter hurdles (14.8) and long jump (6.35) events respectively.
Marvin Lupinario contributed a double bronze after jumping the length of 6.35 meters and garnering 5226 points in the decathlon event. Jordan Billones grabbed another bronze in the 800-meter run with a time of 1:57.8.
