University of the East made strides in acquiring another quadruple crown as the men’s and boys’ teams virtually locked the title in the UAAP Season 85 Fencing Championships, Saturday at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion Arena in Manila.
RJ Perez flexed his experience against Enzo Bautista of University of the Philippines to knot the men’s epee team semifinal to 38, before individual titlist Francis Felipe stopped Dale Gonzales to complete a come-from-behind win, 45-41.
From there, the Red Warriors denied individual silver medalist Darylle Lumahan and the rest of the De La Salle University quartet to clinch the gold in the event, 45-40, and the ninth straight championship.
“Masarap kasi alam mong pinaghirapan mo,” coach Rufelrino Endriano said of their road to keeping the title.
He added, “Alam mo na may competition, mas masarap yon. Kesa sa hindi pa nagsisimula, alam mong kayo na mananalo.”
Individual champion Daniel Villanueva earlier helped University of Santo Tomas bag the sabre team gold over Ateneo de Manila University, 45-24.
The Junior Warriors swept the two golds in the same team events to pocket the school’s 11th consecutive crown in the boys’ division.
Louis Shoemaker helped both epee and sabre squads to the titles with UE taking down UST, 45-27, and Ateneo, also 45-27, respectively.
The Lady Warriors also took care of the Fighting Maroons in the foil team gold medal bout, 45-27, to move ahead on the women’s side as it gained one gold medal ahead of the latter and UST in the championship race.
Shekinah Catantan and the girls’ foil team of the Red Warriors rounded the day, dominating De La Salle Zobel, 45-33, in the title match.
