THE UST Tiger Fencers again finished second in the UAAP Season 78 fencing tournament held at the Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagle Gym last Feb. 13.
UST finished the four-day event with a 6-7-8 gold-silver-bronze medal tally. The University of the East Red Warriors extended their championship streak in the men’s division to four straight titles and eight consecutive championships in the women’s division.
Men’s team captain Noelito Jose opened the tournament with a gold medal finish in the men’s epee category. Jose, along with Dino Aribas, Dennis Gascon and Rodolfo Duterte secured another gold in the men’s epee team event after trouncing the Red Warriors, 45-42, in the finals.
The men’s sabre team of Bonn Pascual, Matthew Domantay, Angelo Ramos and Jomar Echavez and the men’s foil team of Duterte, Alexander Macaraig, Gian Carlo Aribe and Jessie James Suarez settled for two bronze medals after taking a drubbing from their respective matches both against UE.
In women’s play, team captain Maylene Pailma snatched UST’s fourth gold medal by defeating national team mainstay Alleine Cortey from UE, 15-14, in the women’s sabre event. Pailma was on the verge of losing but salvaged a victory by landing an attack squarely on her opponent’s chest.
Gisela Rey (women’s epee) settled for second after losing to Lady Warrior Keren Panganiban.
Peñaflor, Lady Racine Natividad, Kathlyn Echavez and Anna Patricia Macaraig snared a silver against the Lady Warriors in the finale of the women’s foil team event while the women’s sabre team of Pailma, Cherie Mañago, Dyren Faith Peñaflor and Eileen de Guzman fell short against UE in a nail-biter of a finals, 42-45.
Rey Ashley Espiritu, Mariel Peralta and Maricar Dizon took home a bronze after absorbing a 34-45 defeat to De La Salle in the women’s epee team semifinals.
In the boys’ division, Junior Tiger Fencer Daniel Villanueva, who was hailed Most Valuable Player, also won gold with Anthony Macaraig, Eric de Leon and Ricardo Fuenzalida, Jr. over the Junior Warriors.
Villanueva and Timothy Gonzales also bagged gold in the boys’ epee and sabre individual categories, respectively.
The boys’ epee team of Zedric Estavillo, Timothy Gonzales, Jazz Gocon, Dave Pascual and girls’ foil team consisting of Fatima Domantay, Henesy Odulio, Hannah Alarcon and Francheska Yadao both yielded to UE in the finals.
The squad of Andrea Marie Alarcon, Cherline Anne Perez, Chloe Chacon and Precious Sapungan (girls’ sabre team) finals and Pauline Bernate, Charlize Linatud, Keziah Chua and Pia Bachmann (girls’ epee team) clinched second place after both losing to their respective finals matches against UE.
In the girls’ sabre event, Andrea Alarcon and Cherline Perez won bronze apiece while the boys’ foil team of Macaraig, Villanueva, Samuel Mangarin and Joseph Amores scored a podium finish at third place.
“Parang may mali sa sequence ng team. Aayusin namin ang program para matalo na namin [ang UE] next season. Lumalakas na ‘yung mga player ng high school, pati na mga ibang college players. Halos lahat kasi ng members ngnational team [nasa UE],” UST epee coach Arman Bernal told the Varsitarian.
