The UST squad produced 35 points with a 10-1-3 win-draw-loss card to overtake FEU’s 33.5 points and 8-3-3 slate.
IT WAS a victory 14 years in the making for the UST Male Woodpushers as they reclaimed the title by dethroning six-time champion Far Eastern University in the UAAP men’s chess tournament at the FEU Technology Auditorium last Feb. 17.
Trailing by two points at the end of the ninth round, the Woodpushers saw a ray of hope after the 11th round when they cut the FEU deficit to 0.5 on the twin victories of team captain Patrick Florendo and Steven James Dacanay in the 12th round.
In the final round, UST was neck-and-neck against the defending champions with eventual Most Valuable Player Timothy So Kua and Dacanay recording draws against FEU’s Richelieu Salcedo III and Mo Dominique Lagula.
Florendo clinched the title for UST as he lorded it over John Ramel Morazo.
“The gap was slim, 1.5 points lang ang lamang namin sa kanila. Pero thankful pa rin ako na nakuha namin ang title and all our hardwork paid off,” coach Ronald Dableo said.
The Male Woodpushers’ last bagged the title in Season 62, before De La Salle University dethroned them the following year.
One step at a time
In the distaff side, the Lady Woodpushers rose from the cellar and improved to sixth place after amassing 23 points with a 5-1-8 win-draw-loss card.
Team captain Loraine Salinas led the charge by producing 7.5 points, even if she was outclassed by back-to-back champion Jan Jodilyn Fronda of La Salle.
“Kung nabawi naman ng men's team, I believe kaya rin naman ng women's team bumawi at umangat pa next season,” said Dableo. “One step at a time lang. Marami pang puwedeng i-improve ang team na ‘to, kaya hindi malabong makakabawi tayo next year.”
