Lady Judokas also have a strong showing
The two-day event, from October 4-5, showcased the best of the best martial artists of the jujitsu, among which Ateneo’s very own Paulo Luz (III BS HSc) was crowned with Most Valuable Player honors.
Consistency is key
Starting off strong with one gold and four bronze medals, the team earned 18 points during day one, trailing only University of the Philippines as they impressed with 23 points. With a gold medal finish coming from Salvador Reyes Jr. (IV BS CS) coupled with several bronze medal victories from Mark Revelo (II BSM AMF), Alvin Lat (IV AB MEco), George Pastor (III BS CTM), and Hyun-Jun Lim (IV AB PoS), Ateneo managed to take care of business in the heavyweight to the half-middleweight classes.
Fresh from the first day’s victories, the Judokas would manifest that same winning attitude come last day of competition. With De La Salle University (DLSU) on their way to three gold medals, the Judokas would then take over in the half-lightweight match as both Tournament MVP Luz and Team Captain Jason Garcia (IV AB MEco) eventually reached the finals, thus allowing Ateneo to bag gold and silver, respectively, after which the Blue and White would never be threatened again.
Ateneo finished the competition with an additional two bronze medals from the extra lightweight division led by Jhonel Faelnar (II BS ME) and Kevin Movido (I BS Mgt). This paved the way for an astounding 37 points, enough for first place, edging out DLSU and University of Sto. Tomas who tallied 32 and 28 points, respectively.
The team’s success could very well be attributed to their immense training and preparation for Season 71 of the UAAP, arriving well-conditioned from local and international competitions.
In the end, the awards are just a testament to something they already know. “We are champions even without the medals and the trophy. They are just there to officially recognize we are,” Garcia said.
Lady Judokas gain significant experience
In the women’s division, University of the Philippines proved too difficult to beat as they won their 11th title (out of 14 years of UAAP Judo) and third straight championship. However, this feat did not prevent our own Lady Judokas to share the spotlight as their young roster showed immense improvement in this year’s tournament. The Lady Judokas were ranked fourth among five schools.
“Some of our competitors were more seasoned, and we had no expectations to win much. But my teammates did all I knew they could do and I’m very proud of them,” said Women’s Team Captain Michelene Lagdameo (III AB Comm), who won a bronze medal.
The team finished the two-day competition with a strong showing. Angeles Tioseco (II BS MIS), Patty Mendoza (III AB Psy), Ren Revelo (IV BS Bio), and Kate Briones (II BS ECE) all gathered bronze medals.
Lagdameo attributed their success to the inspiring performance of the men’s team, which stacked one spectacular win after another, and to Coach Ali Sulit who always reminded them to not be afraid to want something so badly.
“This year’s UAAP was a milestone. The men’s championship, as well as the great showing of the women’s team just proves that next year is going to be a bigger year for us,” Lagdameo said.
