Banking on its strong showing in team events, University of Santo Tomas ended De La Salle’s two-year reign in the UAAP Season poomsae competition Tuesday at the Coral Way of the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
The men’s team gold went to the Tiger Jins’ Vincent Gabriel Rodriguez, Miguel Alexandre Baladad, and Darius Venerable with 8.520, besting the National University Bulldogs’ James Matthew Lopez, Kier Macalino, and Ricco Jame Teraytay, who captured the silver with 8.380, and the Green Jins’ Jessie Daniel Ignacio, Michael Porras, and John Aldrin Pacana, who had 8.220 for the bronze.
UST then got the job done by winning the women’s team gold courtesy of Aidaine Laxa, Chelsea Xen Tacay, and Stella Nicole Yape with 8.515.
“I am very proud of everybody,” UST head coach Rani Ortega said. “What I told the team was they did not train for two weeks but they trained for two years. Kahit nung nag-start yung pandemic, we didn’t stop training. Everybody did their part, having their online program from me and coach Junior (Reyes).
“One good thing about it is they worked on their individual weaknesses and kung saan pwede pa silang mag-improve. Kaya nung nagkita-kita kami, ang sabi lang namin, ‘You are ready and in condition’,” she continued.
University of the Philippines reached its lone podium finish with a silver with Joanna Pauline Jubelag, Adel Julianne Adriano, and Alyssa Louise Caabay recording 8.500, while De La Salle’s Mikee Rose Regala, Zyka Angelica Santiago, and Daphne Ching had 8.400 to claim the bronze.
Laxa went home with the Rookie-MVP award. She also secured a silver in the women’s individual event for the Tigers.
Kobe Macario and Jade Ashley Carno topped the mixed pair with 8.665 to jumpstart UST’s gold rush. La Salle’s Patrick Perez and Mikee Rose Regala bagged the silver with 8.615 while National University’s Ceanne Rosquillo and Leila Soria took the bronze with 8.555.
The Bulldogs placed second with one gold, two silvers, and one bronze, while the Green Archers, the second-winningest team with three titles, settled for third with a 1-1-3 haul.
De La Salle’s Patrick Perez’s 8.550 gave him a third consecutive individual men’s gold in the UAAP. NU’s Rosquillo (8.53) won silver while UST’s Vincent Gabriel Rodriguez (8.370) bagged the bronze.
NU’s Soria secured the individual women’s gold with 8.470, besting UST’s Laxa (8.455) and De La Salle’s Sofia Sarmiento (8.385).
UP wound up fourth, while Ateneo and Far Eastern University placed fifth and sixth respectively.
