AFTER the first semester of Season 86, UST secured the lead in the UAAP general championship race, strengthening its pursuit of its 47th overall title in the seniors division.
UST amassed 202 points built on seven gold, three silver and two bronze medals across 19 sporting events.
UP is second with 172 points, while Ateneo is third with 167 points.
The Male Woodpushers bagged the first gold for UST this season, completing a three-peat in the men’s chess tournament at the FEU Tech Gym on Nov. 19.
The UST Tiger Paddlers went undefeated in their Season 86 run to capture their fourth straight men’s table tennis championship at the Amoranto Sports Complex on Nov. 23.
The UST Female Tigersharks secured their first podium finish in six years after placing third in the women’s swimming tournament at the Teofilo Yldefonso Swimming Pool, while the Female Tracksters failed to defend their title in the women’s athletics and likewise finished with bronze at the PhilSports Track Oval in Pasig. Both the swimming and athletics tournaments concluded on Nov. 26.
UST found its way to the front of the race after a streak of gold-medal finishes before the semester ended.
The UST Poomsae Jins reclaimed their title and emerged as champions in this season’s poomsae tournament at the Marikina Sports Center on Nov. 27.
The UST Tiger Sands completed another golden double in the beach volleyball tournament at the SM Sands by the Bay on Nov. 28.
The UST Lady Jins swept the women’s kyorugi tournament to defend their title at the Marikina Sports Center in Marikina on Nov. 29.
In men’s play, the UST Tiger Jins settled for silver for the second straight year in the men’s kyorugi tournament.
Capping off the martial arts week, the UST Tiger Judokas and Lady Judokas picked up twin silver medals in the judo tournaments at the same venue on Dec. 1.
UST ended the first-semester events with a bang as the Growling Tigresses snapped the dynastic reign of the NU Lady Bulldogs in UAAP women’s basketball and won their first championship in 17 years at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Dec. 6.
The UAAP point system gives 15 points to an event’s champion team, 12 points to the second placer and 10 points to the third placer. Meanwhile, the fourth to eighth placers have 8, 6, 4, 2 and 1 points, respectively.
De La Salle University, last season’s runner-up, is at No. 4 with 160 points, followed by National University (136 points), Far Eastern University (105 points), Adamson University (52 points) and this season’s host school University of the East (41 points).
As of writing, UST also leads the general championship race in the juniors division, securing 11 podium finishes with six gold, four silver and bronze medals across all completed high school tournaments thus far. It currently has 148 points with elimination rounds of basketball and volleyball still ongoing.
UST is the winningest school with 46 and 22 general championships in the seniors and juniors levels.
