THE UST Tiger Jins racked up eight gold, 10 silver, and 14 bronze medals in the Smart/MVPSF Best of the Best Taekwondo Championships at the Ayala Malls Manila Bay on Sept. 3, Sunday.
In the senior’s division, the Tiger Jins finished with a 7-3-8 gold-silver-bronze medal haul in kyorugi and a 2-2-4 medal tally in poomsae.
Israel Cantos, a 2021 Southeast Asian Games (SEA) bronze medalist, captured the heavyweight gold. His fellow Tiger Jins Mark Gariega (middleweight), Aljen Aynaga (flyweight), and Rama Liporada (bantamweight), also topped their respective events.
In women’s play, UAAP Season 85 Rookie of the Year Reign Ragutana and her fellow Lady Jins Abigail Valdez and Laizel Abucay ruled the welterweight, bantamweight, and featherweight divisions, respectively.
UST’s Justin Agno bagged the silver medal in the lightweight division, while Lady Jins Geraline Pit and Realis Tabiando each snagged silver in the women’s finweight and lightweight divisions.
The UST Jins also had bronze finishes in the bantamweight division courtesy of Aron Bangayan, Jheizler Fernandez, Angel Lobres and Geriane Pineda.
UST’s Dave Labaton (men’s lightweight), Reyvin Villanueva (men’s lightweight), Rommel Pablo, Jr. (men’s flyweight), and Rryshel Ramirez (women’s flyweight) also placed third in their respective categories.
“Mayroon kaming steady growth for the past weeks,” UST assistant coach Paul Ravarra told the Varsitarian. “Medyo marami pang kulang na kailangan i-improve, so kailangan pa namin mag-work on [those things] and i-adjust ‘yung plotting ng programming namin upang ma-address ‘yung needs ng athletes.”
“Ine-expect ko na magpi-peak ‘yung athletes pagdating ng November or by December, just in time for UAAP,” Ravarra added.
In the individual recognized poomsae event, former Lady Jin Jocel Ninobla, who is world no. 2 in female under-30 recognized poomsae, clinched gold, while Lady Jin Maria Labayne, a SEA Games medalist, copped silver.
Lady Jins Heza Serapio and Chelsea Tacay, as well as Tiger Jins Paul Rodriguez and King Alcairo notched bronze medals in the same event.
Darius Venerable, the world No. 4 in male over-17 freestyle poomsae, nabbed gold in the men’s individual freestyle poomsae, while UST’s Stella Yape settled for silver in women’s play.
“Nagbunga ‘yung pinaghirapan nila during training. Kahit na tuloy-tuloy ‘yung competition nila, mapa-international, even dito sa Pilipinas nag-e-excel pa rin sila,” UST head coach Rodolfo Reyes, Jr. told the Varsitarian.
The UST Junior Tiger Jins completed the medal haul with five silver and two bronze medals in the poomsae and kyorugi tournaments.
