Ateneo starts strong, dominates Day 1 of UAAP Swimming Competition

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The 78th UAAP Swimming Championship kicked off yesterday at the Rizal Memorial Swimming Complex. Ateneo de Manila University stamped its class in both the Men’s and Women’s divisions to prove why they are the defending champions.

It seemed smooth sailing for the Ateneo Blue Tankers as they bagged a total of five gold medals and three silver medals in the five events of the day. Moreover, all these events were won in UAAP record fashion.

Axel Ngui provided the first gold medal of the day in the 800m Freestyle, breaking his old UAAP mark in 8:32.75. Rookie teammate Eman Dapat would finish next in 8:56.16. Returning participant National University would surprise everyone by landing the bronze medal courtesy of Martin Pupos who clocked 9:09.25.

In the afternoon, the 200m Medley Relay formally kicked off the tournament in a supposedly be a tight match. However, the team of Jeric Santos, Carlo Silva, Gio Palencia, and Paolo Mutuc from Ateneo, was in a class of its own. They smashed their own old UAAP record of 1:52.06, which they fought tooth and nail to achieve last year, by setting the new mark at 1:49.66. De La Salle University’s team of Miguel Narciso, Ambrose Agustin, Red Silvestre and Alfonso Bautista (1:51.87) would repeat as runners up while University of the Philippines’ Christen Mercado, Gaston Geloso, Lans Donato and Rafael Agtarap (1:52.24) rounded out the podium.

An interesting development was the 100m Freestyle, where reigning Most Valuable Player Jessie Lacuna was surprisingly entered alongside teammate Axel Ngui, who has topped the event three times previously. Ngui would fight Lacuna, a Southeast Asian Games medalist, till the finish but would come up short. Lacuna timed 51.66 while Ngui finished in 52.14, both surpassing the UAAP record. UP rookie Rafael Sta. Maria, an NCAA Juniors MVP, won the bronze in 55.14.

Lacuna would do the improbable by immediately coming back for the next event, the 200m Individual Medley, and win in 2:06.50. He was noticeably drained but was still able to hold off fellow Blue Tanker and last year’s Rookie of the Year, Alberto Batungbacal (2:09.47) and DLSU rookie Neil Puyo (2:14.54). Lacuna ripped his old UAAP mark in the event during the morning preliminaries with a time of 2:03.31.

The day ended for the Blue Tankers with another win in the 800m Freestyle Relay. The team of Brandon Sing, Justin Sy, Gerard Reyes and Gio Palencia managed a time of 8:14.58, surpassing the old UAAP mark of 8:20.83. DLSU’s Benjie Narciso, John Velecina, Troy Espiritu and Sage Yabut also beat the mark in 8:19.96 but their efforts were simply not enough. UP’s Lawin Dacera, Derek Libadia, Rydell Ayroso and Alfred Rojo completed the podium clocking 8:22.61.

Over at the women’s competition, the Ateneo Lady Tankers managed to match their male counterparts’ success by bagging five gold medals, one of them in UAAP record time, and 2 silver medals. UP, conscious of an upset, tried to stay close with two silver medals and a bronze while DLSU took home a silver medal and a bronze medal.

Kimberly Uy reigned supreme in her pet event, the 800m Freestyle, by setting a time of 9:33.99. Rookie teammate Romina Gavino took the silver with her time of 9:44.40 while University of Santo Tomas’ Angelic Saavedra finished in 9:51.50 to take the bronze.

In the 200m Medley Relay, UP fielded in a star-studded lineup of Anna Bartolome, Joy Rodgers, Janna Taguibao and Ariana Canaya to completely dominate the competition. However, disaster struck as one of them was ruled by the referee as having jumped in too early. This enabled the 2:13.39 time of Ateneo’s Julia Balanag, Basille Uy, Bethanie Martin and Hannah Castaneda to be good enough for a gold. DLSU’s Catherine Bondad, Magali Echauz, Sarah Castaneda and Jia De Guzman landed second in 2:14.10 while UST’s Ryan Regidor, Mary Sanchez, Julianne Torres and Zoe Teodoro finished third in 2:15.60. UP has protested the result to put this event on hold.

The competition would go on, however, and Ateneo’s Hannah Dato, the reigning MVP, quickly went back to work in the 100m Freestyle. She sped to a time of 58.48 in this sprint event to establish a new UAAP record. UP rookie Winona Tee Ten surprised everyone with her silver medal worthy time of 1:01.66 while DLSU’s Ingrid Ilustre finished third at 1:02.49.

Dato returned to the pool immediately to vie for the 200m Individual Medley event where she would again emerge victorious, leaving the competition behind in 2:21.92. The next closest competitor was teammate Ariana Herranz, last year’s Rookie of the Year, with her personal best time of 2:31.67, holding off UP’s rookie Pricila Aquino who clocked 2:32.25.

The Ateneo Lady Tankers completed its campaign for the first day with another convincing win in the 800m Freestyle Relay where the team of Dominiq Reyes, Julia Balanag, Ramona Datu and Kimberly Uy slowly established a huge margin enroute to a gold medal finish in 9:19.13. UP’s Erica Lukang, Michaela Alcover, Janna Taguibao and Monica Padilla took the silver in 9:25.85 while UST’s Danica Locsin, Katrina Aguelo, Rhezel Jugar and Isabelle Gubat took the bronze in 9:51.05.

At the end of the first day, the Ateneo Blue Tankers amassed 122 points, ahead of DLSU’s 67 and UP’s 40. Not to be outdone by their counterparts, the Ateneo Lady Tankers collected 121 points to top UP’s 66 and DLSU’s 38.

Day Two of the UAAP Swimming Championship continues today with the 400m Freestyle, 50m Breaststroke, 100m Butterfly, 200m Backstroke and 400m Freestyle Relay events. UP and DLSU are expected to pick up the pace even as Ateneo tries to hold off its competitors.

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[nextpage title = “Points and Awarding”]
Event 1 Men’s 200 Medley Relay

GOLD – Jan Jeric Santos, Giancarlo Silva, Jose Gio Fidel Palencia, Paolo Gabriel Mutuc (ADMU) 1:49.66 NEW UAAP Record
SILVER – Juan Miguel Narcisco, Ambrose Raymund Agustin, Leon Red Silvestre, Alfonso Jose Bautista (DLSU) 1:51.87
BRONZE – Christen Mercado, Joseph Gaston Beloso, Lanz Rawlin Donato, Rafael Andrew Agtarap (UP) 1:52.24

Event 5 Men’s 100 Free

GOLD – Jessie Khing Lacuna (ADMU) 51.66 NEW UAAP Record
SILVER – Axel Toni Steven Ngui (ADMU) 52.14
BRONZE – Rafael Sta Maria (UP) 55.14

Event 6 Women’s 100 Free

GOLD – Hannah Dato (ADMU) 58.48 NEW UAAP RECORD
SILVER – Winona Nadine Tee Ten (UP) 1:01.6
BRONZE – Sabrina Ingrid Ilustre (DLSU) 1:02.49

Event 9 200 Individual Medley

GOLD – Jessie Khing Lacuna (ADMU) 2:06.50
SILVER – Alberto Batungbacal (ADMU) 2:09.47
BRONZE – Arian Neil Puyo (DLSU) 2:14.54

Event 10 200 Individual Medley

GOLD – Hannah Dato (ADMU) 2:21.92
SILVER – Ariana Herranz (ADMU) 2:31.67
BRONZE – Pricila Loren Aquino (UP) 2:32.25

Event 13 Men’s 800 Free

GOLD – Axel Ngui (ADMU) 8:32.75 NEW UAAP RECORD
SILVER – Eman Noellito Dapat (ADMU) 8:56.16
BRONZE – Martin Jacob Pupos (NU) 9:09.25

Event 14 Women’s 800 Free

GOLD – Kimberly Uy (ADMU) 9:33.99
SILVER – Romina Rafaelle Gavino (ADMU) 9:44.40
BRONZE – Mary Angelic Saavedra (UST) 9:51.50

Event 17 Men’s 800 Free Relay

GOLD – Brandon Willis Sing, Justin Vito Sy, Gerard Christoffe Reyes, Jose Gio Fidel Palencia (ADMU) 8:14.58 NEW UAAP RECORD
SILVER – Benjie Gregory Narciso, John Edward Velecina, Troy Jordan Espiritu, Franz Edward Yabut (DLSU) 8:19.96
BRONZE – Lawin Dacera, Derek Izac Libadia, Rydell Justin Ayroso, Alfred Valentin Rojo (UP) 8:22.61

Event 18 Women’s 800 Free Relay

GOLD – Dominiq Ruth Reyes, Julia Iona Balanag, Ramona Angelina Datu, Kimberly Uy (ADMU) 9:19.13
SILVER – Erica Kristy Lukang, Michaela Alyssa Alcover, Janna Mikayla Taguibao, Monica Padilla (UP) 9:25.85
BRONZE – Danica Claudia Locsin, Katrina Nicole Aguelo, Rhezel Jugar, Isabelle Gubat (UST) 9:51.05

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