Jeanne Arnibal starred as University of Santo Tomas continued to pull away in the girls’ division of the ongoing UAAP Season 85 Athletics Championships, Thursday at the Philsports Track and Field Oval in Pasig City.
With 126 points in the third day after a four-gold romp, the Junior Female Tiger Tracksters now have 317 points, a huge 115 markers ahead of the second-running University of the East with 202.
Arnibal, a former Palarong Pambansa standout from Quezon Province, opened the day for UST with no less than a new UAAP record in the triple jump with 11.66 meters, breaking the previous mark of UST’s Anna Sinconiegue in Season 82 of 11.27.
Arnibal’s jump was just ahead by a few centimeters of Adamson University’s Rhea Lego with 11.34, which also surpassed Sinconniegue’s record. UE’s Desiree Narido completed the medalists with a jump of 9.08.
Faith Burdeos bagged her second gold of the season with a winning mark of 34.85 meters in the discus throw. Adamson’s Lea Pareja and Jazen Arano came in distant second and third with 29.11 and 29.02, respectively.
Lyka Raterta and Fiona Tolentino then made it a 1-2 finish for UST in the 1500 meters. Raterta captured her second title of the competition with 5:29.99 minutes and Tolentino crossed the line with 5:46.70. Jyzel Gabriel of UE denied the Tiger Tracksters the podium sweep, finishing in third with 5:51.29, five seconds ahead of UST’s Madelyn Flores’ 5:56.04.
Arnibal then anchored the squad also composed of Lyka Miravalles, Christine Guergio, and Charize Montes to the gold in the 4x100m relay with 52.57, just 0.03 seconds ahead of Adamson’s Gwyneth Santoluma, Lego, Leanne Flores, and Juvelle Matnog’s 52.60. UE came in third with Gabriel, Jenevie De Costa, Narido, and Jane Gochoco at 55.12.
Matnog broke the UST onslaught with the gold in the 400m and finished with a time of 1:01.67, ahead of two Thomasians in Guergio with 1:02.73 and Miravalles with 1:03.76.
On the other hand, Adamson University continued to dominate the boys’ side with 296 points, withstanding UST’s own moves in the standings that closed at 233 markers.
A new UAAP mark also took centerstage in Adamson’s surge in the boys’ side with John Yuri Jumaday in the 3000m walk.
Jumaday, set the event’s mark to 14:31.93, smashing the previous record of UST’s Carlo De Imus at 15:30.91 in Season 82 at the same venue. The finish was almost two minutes faster than UST’s Gabriel Cervantes and Adamson’s Gian Cunanan, who crossed second and third with 16:03.91 and 16:21.32, respectively.
The Baby Falcons also swept the 400m podium led by John Mark Martin’s gold with 52.56 seconds. Emanuel Morales finished with 52.86 to bag the silver, while Nash Candelario ended with 52.89 for the bronze.
Morales and Candelario got their shot at the gold later in the day as they joined John Michael Manoloto and quadruple gold medalist, Kent Jardin, to win the 4×100 relay with 44.11 seconds. UST’s John Daniel Nuestro, Sean Narag, Aryan Piomato, and Kent Abilay pocketed the silver with 45.62, while Raven Jamila, Ynigo Ramos, Lance Veloso, and Pi Durden Wangkay broke through with De La Salle Zobel’s first medal — a bronze — with 52.86.
A 1-2 finish in the high jump fuelled the Junior Tiger Tracksters push on the third day as Harvey Villasan and Mejen Sumbongan recorded best jumps of 1.53 meters and 1.50, respectively. The lone Baby Falcon John Dimapilis denied UST the sweep with 1.45, ahead of Nuestro on count back.
UE’s Chinno Balmores annexed his second gold of the season, taking the javelin throw this time with 46.95 meters. The throw was comfortably farther than UST’s Cedrick Marquez, who had 40.18, and AdU’s Jhay Tica who had 39.32.
The competition resumes on Saturday.
