THE UST Tiger Jins settled for silver for the second straight year in the UAAP Season 86 men’s kyorugi tournament that concluded at the Marikina Sports Center in Marikina on Wednesday, Nov. 29.
The Tiger Jins finished the season with a 4-1 win-loss record, which is similar to the NU Bulldogs’, but NU won the crown via the win-over-the-other rule. NU handed UST its lone loss this season.
“‘Yung run ng men’s team ngayon, admittedly, maraming ups and downs,” UST head coach Gershon Bautista told the Varsitarian. “Hindi natin nakuha yung gusto natin na result, of course, who wouldn’t want the championship? But, all in all, it would be fitting to say that it was a good run for the team.”
Rookie Legolas Peñaredondo gave the Tiger Jins a 2-1 edge in the third match after downing NU’s Kurt Pajuelas, 11-8, 3-4, 6-5.
However, Bulldogs Nusair Lao, Sturdy Gilbuena and Carl Ayaton made quick work of Tiger Jins Reyvin Villanueva (15-2, 6-0), John Pasion (1-2, 5-2) and Mark Gariega (14-2, 5-4) to secure NU’s fifth straight championship, 4-2.
Despite UST already absorbing its first loss, Tiger Jin veteran Israel Cantos, who exhausted his final playing year this season, added one more win after defeating NU’s Gabriel Soria, 9-3, 6-0.
“I think the main difference there is ‘yung grit ng players na hanggang dulo hindi bumigay, which during the matches mas na-exhibit ng NU,” Bautista said. “Talagang mas maganda lang ang timpla ngayon ng NU. They had better temperament to grab the championship this year.”
Far Eastern University copped bronze after ending the season with a 3-2 record.
The Tiger Jins cruised past Ateneo (6-2) and FEU (5-2) in their first two games.
Peñaredondo, the Season 85 boys’ MVP, bagged the Rookie of the Year award in his collegiate debut.
Team captain Rommel Pablo, Peñaredondo, and Cantos ruled the flyweight, bantamweight, and middle/heavyweight divisions, respectively. Pasion snagged silver in the lightweight category, while Aljen Aynaga took home the bronze in the finweight category.
The Tiger Jins last won the championship in Season 79 in 2016.
