Eduard Josh Buenavista broke a long-standing UAAP record as reigning men’s champion University of the Philippines in pulling away from the pack in the ongoing UAAP Season 85 Collegiate Athletics Championships, Thursday at the Philsports Oval in Pasig City.
De La Salle University likewise kept its hold in the women’s division despite the resurgence of University of Santo Tomas.
Eduard, son of Philippine athletics legend Eduardo Buenavista, registered a new UAAP mark in the 10,000 meters with 32:08.30 minutes to smash the previous one of 32:38.88 set by Far Eastern University’s Nelbert Ducusin in UAAP Season 68.
The rookie led the UP domination of the event that also saw teammates Eduard Flores and Roy Laudit take the silver and bronze.
The Fighting Maroons now hold 140 points to maintain its pole position ahead of former seven-time champion Far Eastern University, who now stands at second with 117.
UP’s Rhyan Labita secured the sprint golden double after winning the 200 meters with 22.20 seconds.
The Tamaraws took advantage of the Fighting Maroons’ absence in the decathlon where Allen Mationg and John Cresencia finished at 1-2 for FEU. Mationg took over early leader Cresencia in the last five events to snag the gold with 5,797 points against 5,383.
Mationg was running second at the end of Wednesday after registering 11.31 seconds in 100m (second), 6.79 meters in long jump (first), 8.84m in shot put (fifth), 1.75m in high jump (third), and 54.10s in 400m (third).
On Thursday, the FEU stalwart surged into the lead starting with his 15.71 in the 110m hurdles (first) and then went on to put up 30.04m in the discus throw (first), 3.60m in pole vault (third), 48.46m in javelin throw (first), and ended with 5:51.86 in the 1500m (ninth).
Tamaraw John Rafols also took down UP’s Clint Neri in long jump with a best jump of 7.32 meters over 7.20.
Aaron Arandia of National University helped keep the Bulldogs inside the top three with 94 markers with the 10,000m walk title, clocking in 50:19.20.
On the other hand, the Female Tiger Tracksters reduced the gap to 17 points with 120 against the Lady Green Tracksters’ 137, highlighted by a record-breaking feat of Lianne Pama in the 200m.
Pama reset the 24.47 seconds set by University of the East’s Jenny Rose Rosales in Season 76 in Dasmariñas, Cavite to 24.35 to get the gold.
Lanie Carpentero and Efralyn Democer made it 1-2 for UST in the javelin throw with 43.08 and 40.45 meters, respectively, while Faith Gonzales denied DLSU’s Abcd Agamanos in the triple jump, 12.10 meters to 11.89.
UP’s Abigail Manzano took the other gold of the night with a solid 18:54.90 performance in the 5000m. This run helped the Fighting Maroons zoom to third place after two days with 73 points.
The Bulldogs capped the second day with the gold in the 4×400 mixed relay with Lenlyn Sanita, John Lloyd Caballo, Charmaine Deocampo, and Hiro Alamo stopping the clock at 3:44.09.
The championships go to their third day with the first four events of the women’s heptathlon taking centerstage on Friday.
