University of the East continued its dominance with a third straight event sweep at the dramatic conclusion of the UAAP Season 86 Fencing Championships on Sunday at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion in Manila.
The Red Warriors’ collegiate squads secured their 10th straight men’s title and third consecutive women’s tiara, needing to clinch them on the very last day of the championships, granting the season hosts their first two titles this year at the said level.
In stark contrast, UE’s high school teams virtually sealed the deal the previous day, extending their championship runs to 12 on the boys’ side and 10 on the girls’ side.
For head coach Amatov Canlas, it was a challenging yet fulfilling outcome, stating, “Masaya kasi nare-retain pa rin namin ‘yung championship kahit na ‘yung pressure talagang … ‘pag malapit na ‘yung UAAP, talagang nape-pressure kami kasi hindi lang naman isang title ‘yung dinedepensahan namin, apat. At hindi lang siya basta champion, talagang dekada. ‘Yun din pinag-iisipan namin kung paano depensahan kasi gumagaling na lahat ‘yung kalaban.
“Happy naman ako na gumagaling na team at dumarami na ‘yung nagfe-fencing sa Pilipinas at ‘yung competition sa UAAP talagang tumataas,” the long-time tactician added.
Competition came in the form of University of the Philippines on the women’s side, with back-to-back epee individual champion Juliana Gomez leading the way, but the eventual three-peat MVP Queen Dalmacio would not abdicate her throne and that of the whole squad as well.
Dalmacio secured the sabre individual title to kickstart UE’s golden streak, which was followed by two more in foil and epee team golds.
As the team only had seven student-athletes on the roster, the 23-year-old stalwart joined the Lady Red Warriors in the title conquest in epee and foil.
Dalmacio played alongside Jaymi Delos Santos, Andrea Matias, and Eytria Olarte in their 45-29 dominance against individual holder Nana Carbonell and UP in the foil team, before teaming up with Matias, Krystal Liao, and Cyrelle Schofield in their 42-37 escape of De La Salle University in the epee team final.
“Mas OK din po kasi na may tiwala ‘yung team sa sarili at sa isa’t isa. Ako po ‘yung tiwala ko sa kanila, iba po. Alam ko po kasing kaya din nila,” the graduating Lady Red Warrior said.
On the other hand, a similar finish was required from the now 10-peat men’s champions Red Warriors, sealing the deal in the foil team despite the challenge of De La Salle in the final.
The eventual back-to-back Collei Felipe propelled the squad to the 45-31 victory over Reindelle Lacerna and the rest of the Green Fencers, securing the side’s third gold of the season following the previous day’s epee team gold and Felipe’s foil individual title.
“Sobrang happy po namin kasi nung una talaga sinasabi po namin na delikado kami, medyo tinatanggap na namin na mapuputol. Pero nung nag-start yung games parang binibigay ni Lord ‘yung championship. So kami po, sabi namin, hindi namin sasayangin ‘yung opportunity na binibigay ni Lord pa sa ‘min po,” said the 19-year-old national team standout on the five-fencer Red Warriors crew.
Meanwhile, the boys’ and girls’ sides put the icing on the cake in their respective streak-extending title runs after claiming the final golds at stake.
The boys’ foil team, composed of Brynt Gale, eventual MVP Louis Shoemaker, James Lim, and Frances Obzunar, overwhelmed University of Santo Tomas, 45-18, in a one-sided final, completing the squad’s sweep of the team events as they won epee and sabre golds the previous day.
Shoemaker also secured the foil individual gold as Charles Babatio bagged the other of UE’s five golds in the division in sabre individual.
Opao Cantantan, on one side, led the charge for the girls’ team as the eventual repeat top student-athlete collected two individual golds in foil and sabre in the first two days of the competition.
Aubrey Fernandez completed the sweep of the individual events for the Junior Lady Warriors with the epee title, but an entirely different quartet contributed to the gold in the team event.
Aurelle Obzunar and Shareen Beltran received the Rookie of the Year awards in the men’s and women’s ranks for UE, respectively.
Meanwhile, UST’s Rayne Maravilla and De La Salle Zobel’s Venice Villenas secured the top rookie honors in the boys’ and girls’ sides, respectively.
