TEAM captain Hanniel Abella carried the UST Female Fencers to a runner-up finish while the Male Fencers placed fifth in the UAAP fencing tournament at the Blue Eagle Gym in Ateneo de Manila University last Feb. 2.
Abella copped the lone gold medal for UST in the women’s individual epee tournament.
Dyren Peñaflor (women’s foil), Kimberly Camahalan (women’s sabre), Noelito Jose and Bernardino Arribas (men’s epee) secured bronze medals for the España-based squad in their respective tournaments.
“The runner-up finish was unexpected since the lineup consists mostly of rookies,” epee coach Armando Bernal said.
The trio of Abella, Gisela Rey and Kristine Paraso triumphed over eventual titlists and powerhouse University of the East (UE) in the Finals of the women’s epee team tournament.
The women’s sabre team of Donita Navarro, Camahalan, Maylene Pailma and Eileen De Guzman were not as successful as the epee team as they yielded to UE.
Chinee Macaraig, Peñaflor, Sarah Bermejo and Kathlyn Echavez succumbed to Ateneo to take home the silver in the women’s foil tourney.
In her individual event, Peñaflor was upset by her Far Eastern University opponent even as she was ahead by at least four points and went as close as a point from taking the win, 14-15.
Jose and Arribas both fell to a 13-15 defeat against their respective counterparts in the semifinals of the individual men’s epee tournament. Ralph Joshua D.R. Hernandez
