University of the East inched closer to a 10th consecutive UAAP Men’s Fencing title after bagging the epee team gold on Saturday at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion in Manila.
The Red Warriors are heavily favored to clinch the foil team plum on Sunday, and doing so, will secure the season host’s first title this year.
The quartet of RJ Perez, Aurell Obnuzar, Ramil Encilan Jr., and reigning MVP Collei Felipe shook off the challenge of University of the Philippines’ Dale Gonzales, Enzo Malvar, Hijo Tan, and Dexter Ramos, 45-37 in the gold medal final.
UE and UP took down University of Santo Tomas and De La Salle University, respectively, to arrange the showdown,
That relegated the Male Fencers and the Blue Eagles to the bronzes.
Tournament host UST, though, kept in step with UE with individual champion Eunice Villanueva steering the squad to a come-from-behind victory over De La Salle, 45-37, in the championship match.
Villanueva, along with Junior Fuenzalida, Kurt Marquez, and Larco Cortez, pulled off a dramatic 45-43 semifinal battle with the UP Fighting Maroons.
Meanwhile, the De La Salle Green Fencers stunned top seeds Ateneo Blue Eagles at 45-42.
The two Katipunan-based schools ended with the bronzes.
UST is now in second with a 2-2-0 tally, while DLSU slipped to third with 1-1-3.
On the women’s side, UE’s Eytria Olarte avenged her individual defeat to help the four-man foil squad to another golden finish against Nana Carbonell and the rest of the UP side.
Olarte, reigning MVP Queen Dalmacio, Jaymi Delos Santos, and Andrea Matias pulled away late to stop Carbonell, Nami Noro, Mariel Flores, and Nikki Manalastas with a 45-29 gold-clinching win.
The Fighting Maroons kept its place on top with a 2-1-2 tally, but the defending back-to-back champions Lady Red Warriors are just a bronze behind at 2-1-1.
UST edged out DLSU as well in third place on a solitary bronze advantage.
Meanwhile, the Junior Red Warriors virtually secured their 12th straight Boys’ title after bagging the two golds at stake.
Von Gale, Louis Shoemaker, Aljor Contado, and Ruzel Gallano took down UST’s Angel Aberilla, Nathaniel Bernal, Armand Putina, and Christian Sarmiento in the epee team, 30-29, in the final.
Meanwhile, Charles Babatio, Christian Concepcion, Khiane Felipe, and Brynt Gale bagged the gold in sabre with a dominant 45-20 take of Ateneo’s Marion Moulic, Matthew Général, Julian Rosaros, and Sebastian Aceron.
De La Salle Zobel earned the bronzes in both events, sharing the epee one with Ateneo and the sabre one with UST.
UE hiked its tally to 4-3-0, while UST kept Ateneo in check with a 1-1-4 tally against the latter’s 0-1-4.
The Junior Lady Fencers of De La Salle Zobel pulled off the upset of the season against the Junior Lady Warriors to close the girls’ side’s only event of the day — foil team.
Miyake Capina fended off UE’s top fencer Opao Catantan’s late run in the anchor bout to win gold in the slimmest of margins at 45-44.
The DLSZ gold stopped the provisional champion UE’s attempt at a golden sweep and solidified the dormer’s hopes of a runner-up finish.
UST remains at four bronzes, which is good for third.
