The Blue and Lady Eagles took a big step towards reestablishing their reign over collegiate swimming on Day 3 of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 80 Swimming tournament on Saturday, October 14. The lanes at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila were once again the site of a dominant showing from the Blue and White, whose 19-medal haul helped extend their leads over all other contenders heading into the final day.
The results from the first two days of competition set the stage for a dramatic final stretch. For the men’s team’s quest to build a lasting dynasty, the remaining days represented a chance to take the program to new heights by racking up as many points as possible. On the other hand, for the women’s team who carried a slim seven-point lead over reigning champions University of the Philippines (UP), it was a chance to banish ghosts from Season 79 and rediscover their championship form.
Jessie Lacuna, Miguel Barlisan, and Jethro Chua set the standard for FAST’s performances for the day with their top finishes in the men’s 200m freestyle. Lacuna clocked in at (1:55.81) and bagged the gold, while Barlisan earned bronze with a (1:58.36) finish. Chua just missed out on the podium, but his 4th place finish gave an important boost to Ateneo’s point tally. On the othe hand, the Lady Eagles rose to the occasion in the same event as Chloe Daos timed a (2:10.63) finish and Andrea Ngui clocked in at (2:12.03) to win gold and silver, respectively. Ariana Herranz followed in 6th place at (2:19.19).
In the men’s 100m breaststroke, team captain Aldo Batungbacal set a new UAAP record to cap off an all-blue top three with Paolo Mutuc and Giancarlo Silva behind him. Batungbacal broke his own record from last season in his gold medal swim at (1:05.56), Mutuc won the silver at (1:06.71), and Silva rounded out the trio with a bronze at (1:07.23). For the women’s team, the pressure was heightened after the 100m breastroke because UP was able to make up ground after Jazmin Chua finished 8th at (1:26.26).
Fortunately, UP’s slight gain was negated in the women’s 50m butterfly finals. Daos swam to her second gold of the day with a time of (0:29.84) and Ngui finished just behind (0:30.07) in another 1-2 finish. Kristine Santos came in 5th at (0:31:19), while Hannah Dato followed in 6th (0:31.48), meaning all four swimmers were able to earn points for the championship cause. Lacuna stepped up once more for the men’s event and won his second gold of the day with a time of (0.25.69), while Barlisan managed an 8th place finish at (0:27.55).
FAST established dominance in the 100m backstroke as well. Courtney Gray secured gold with a time of (1:07.52) and Herranz completed the all-blue top two, clocking in at (1:08.07). Julia Balanag pushed behind them in 5th (1:12.23), while Alliah Tan finished 7th (1:14.84). For the men’s 100m backstroke, Aki Cariño topped the heap for a gold medal (1:01.32), bronze medalist Brandon Sing followed at (1:02.08), Jeric Santos timed (1:03.42) for fourth, and Miguel Barlisan took fifth at (1:03.49).
In the final individual event of the day, Batungbacal, Lacuna, and Miggy Arellano qualified for the 4x100m individual medley. Batungbacal and Lacuna found themselves neck-and-neck ahead of the rest of the pack, but Lacuna completed the golden finish at (4:38.82) while Batungbacal settled for the silver (4:39.21) and Arellano followed in 6th (5:03.22). In the women’s 4×100 medley, Reagan Gavino, Gray, and Kristine Santos stepped up for the Lady Eagles. Gavino finished in second place at (5:22.56), Gray took home fourth at (5:37.27), and Santos finished sixth at (5:43.77).
The final events of the day were the 4x50m freestyle relays. Drei Buhain, Mutuc, Sing, and Chua duked it out for the Blue Eagles in the men’s category and locked up a silver finish at (1:39.83). Hannah Castañeda, Shayn Ting, Tan, and Ngui stepped up in the women’s category. Ngui swam a close final 50m, but was able to will the team to a gold medal finish (1:56.00).
On a day that could have swung the balance out of the Blue Eagles’ favor at the slightest crack in FAST’s focus, the great medal haul, some stellar performances from the rookies, and the steady winning culture set in place by seasoned veterans saw the team through their biggest test to date on the penultimate day of the tournament.
The FAST Ateneo Swimming Team’s journey for the crown reaches its grand finale on Day 4, Sunday, October 15.
