University of the East claimed two gold medals on the final day to reclaim the women’s title, but University of Santo Tomas prevented an event sweep and captured its first-ever girls’ crown at the conclusion of the UAAP Season 88 Fencing Championships on Monday at the Makati Coliseum.
The 15-time women’s champion Lady Warriors knew that securing the remaining golds in the epee and sabre team events would clinch the title—and they delivered.
“Masaya na malungkot; masaya kasi naibalik namin ‘yung championship, pero malungkot kasi last ko na. So, sana ‘yung sa mga susunod na season ‘yung mga teammates ko, sana huwag nilang bitawan ‘tong championship na nakuha namin,” said newly crowned four-time MVP Queenie Dalmacio, who captured four titles over her five-season UAAP career.
“Mag-training pa rin sila; huwag silang sumuko. Huwag nila dapat hayaang mawala ‘yung championship uli. May panghihinayang sa girls, pero alam kong kaya nila maibalik ‘yon. Laban lang,“ added the Masters in Public Administration student-athlete.
In the high school division, the Junior Female Fencers secured the title after Lia Gillana and her teammates posted a 45–39 victory in the sabre team final over Opao Cantantan and the Junior Lady Warriors.
“After that, I felt overwhelmed po, kasi lahat ng hard work at effort ko po paid off. Minsan bumabyahe pa ko ng two hours after school, and back home, I’m doing my assignments. It was very hectic,” Gillana said, reflecting on her personal contribution to the team’s milestone.
The champion team admitted they are still in awe of their achievement.
“It still hadn’t sunk in; it still feels unreal. Kahit na hawak na namin ‘yung trophy,” Gillana shared.
The women’s title was also aided by results elsewhere that denied erstwhile leaders, the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons, the crown. UP came close to ending an 18-season drought with a berth in the epee team final, but individual champion Jennina Mendoza fell to De La Salle University’s Cyrra Vergara, 45–44, in the semifinals in overtime.
The Lady Warriors then defeated the Lady Green Fencers, 44–40, in the final to move one step closer to their 16th title.
UST also had its moment in the sabre team final, with Kim Shaznee Tuy taking a 43–42 lead. But Dalmacio ensured she ended her UAAP career as a champion, scoring three straight points to reclaim the sabre team crown and the overall title from UST.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
In the high school girls’ division, UE had its own success as Willa Galvez and Mikaela Ragot led the epee squad to a 45–34 victory over the Hannah Belarmino-led Ateneo.
UE had already clinched the collegiate men’s and high school boys’ divisions on Sunday, but they closed their campaigns with additional golds in the foil team events. Four-time MVP Shawn Felipe and the Red Warriors dominated the Fighting Maroons, 45–22, while three-time top student-athlete James Lim led the Junior Warriors to a 45–30 victory over the Junior Male Fencers.
Although UE fell short of sweeping the events for the second consecutive season, winning three titles across the collegiate men’s and women’s divisions and the high school boys’ division was a fitting tribute to program head Amat Canlas in his final season with the university.
“Ingatan nila ‘yung dynasty na nasimulan namin kasi hindi naman basta-basta ‘to eh. We started from nothing, malalim ‘yung ugat ng UE at hindi ‘to basta-basta champion,” said the legendary head coach.
“From sa ‘kin pa hanggang sa present, natuloy ‘yung pagiging dynasty namin. So pag-alis ko, kung sino man ang papalit sa ‘kin, ituloy lang nila.”
The Fighting Maroons finished as runners-up in the women’s division for the second time in three years, ending with a 3–1–2 tally, highlighted by Nana Carbonell’s double gold in foil. The Female Fencers’ performance (0–2–2) allowed them to leapfrog the Lady Green Fencers (0–2–1) on the podium after earning silver in the sabre team and bronze in epee.
In the men’s division, Kurt Maruquez and the Green Fencers finished the season with a 1–2–3 record, edging out Rookie of the Year Calix Ho and the Fighting Maroons (1–2–2) for the second spot behind the Red Warriors.
Opao Cantantan earned her third consecutive UAAP MVP in the high school girls’ division as UE finished second with a 3–1–3 tally. Ateneo’s Belarmino secured the school’s first-ever podium finish in the division with a 0–1–4 record.
Guest team PAREF Southridge finished runner-up in the high school boys’ division, powered by Enrico Fuentes’ performance (1–0–2), while Vito Coching and De La Salle Zobel rounded out the podium with a 1–0–1 record.
