July 7, 2015, 11:06 a.m. – GOLD remained elusive
for the UST Tiger Fencers as they ended their Philippine National Games (PNG)
campaign with another set of heartbreaks at the Philsports Complex in Pasig
City Monday.
UST bagged only one silver and two bronze medals
on the final day as the fencers wrapped up their PNG stint with a total of
1-4-8 gold-silver-bronze medals.
Marielle Peralta, Maricar Dizon and Ashley
Espiritu settled for silver in the women’s team epee after a 43-44 defeat at
the hands Far Eastern University in the finals.
With the gold medal on the line and the match
tied at 43-all, women’s individual epee champion Espiritu had the chance to
send the game into extra period but she admittedly “went blank” as
FEU’s Marie Gaoat finished her off.
“Na-blanko ako kasi kinabahan din ako.
Minadali ko ‘yung game,” Espiritu told the Varsitarian.
“’Yun naman ang kalaban lagi ng mga atleta,
‘yung kaba. Kahit magaling ka kapag kinabahan ka, nawawala yung laro mo,”
UST epee coach Armando Bernal said.
The women’s epee team, who trailed most of the
game, played without women’s individual epee bronze medalist Gisela Ray who was
reportedly out due to academic duties.
Alexander Macaraig, Gian Carlo Aribe, Jessie
James Sanchez and Mark Anthony Garcia settled for bronze in the men’s team foil
after a landslide loss to the University of the Philippines, 28-45.
The women’s team sabre composed of Janna Dalmacio,
Maylene Pailma, Cherie Manago and Fhaym Sarrondo dropped their semifinal bout
against FEU, 38-45, for another bronze.
UST was ahead 30-21 going into to the 7th round,
but a bold move of playing reserve Sarrondo proved fatal for the Tigers as
FEU’s Christine Diane Bermudez unloaded a 14-3 barrage to give the Tamaraws a
35-33 lead that they never surrendered.
Despite failing to add another gold to their
medal haul, Bernal said the level of the UST fencing team was already at par
with other UAAP squads.
“’Yung level (ng fencers) natin nandun na
sa higher level,” the 2005 SEA Games medalist coach said. John
Chester P. Fajardo
