IN 1949, the Blue Eagle Gym was the first building to rise in Loyola Heights. For the Blue Blooded, it is a place where school spirit thrives and where pride and history linger—and now, for the Ateneo men’s fencing team, and graduating senior Scott Siy, the Blue Eagle Gym will be remembered as the place where they finished first runner-up for the first time ever.
Amidst the wide dome of space, wooden courts, championship flags hung up high, and everything else that embodies a basketball arena, a long platform laded with a narrow white strip stood at center stage.
For three days, basketball was not the center of attention at the Blue Eagle Gym; for three days, this confined space of white was the battle grounds for sword-fighters hailing from eight opposing schools at the Season 73 UAAP Fencing tournament, from December 16 to 18.
Finishing with a total medal tally of six gold medals and one silver, the tournament saw the University of the East Lady Warriors retain their four-year reign atop the UAAP podium, dominating in all but one event.
De La Salle University finished at far second with two silver and three bronze medals, and the Ateneo Lady Fencers, who finished second last season, moved down a rank at third, with two silver medals and one bronze.
But all the drama would come in the men’s division.
In yet another battle of Katipunan, both sides engaged in a riveting battle for first—both the Ateneo Blue Fencers and the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons were vying for their first championship crown in school history.
UP, however, got the better of their rivals, edging out the Blue and White by a single medal. The Maroons finished with two gold, one silver, and two bronze medals to Ateneo’s two gold and two bronze medals.
Though they weren’t crowned the best of UAAP fencing, after being winless for the first two days, finishing second best was a more than worthy consolation.
“Finishing second is the highest achievement the Ateneo men’s team has received since the beginning of UAAP fencing [in 1997],” Blue Fencers captain Bryant Cabantac said.
Unlike their female counterparts, who won their first championship in the 2006-2007 season, it took 12 years for the Blue fencers to reach this high up the ranks. Last year they failed to break into the top three, finishing fourth. Prior to that, they plateaued with successive third place finishes.
Blue Fencers: too little, too late
This season looked to be heading towards that direction. After days one and two of the tournament—while UST, UE, and UP began their medal collection—Ateneo had not won a single award. It took spirited performances by Cabantac, and August Ignacio on the third and final day to put the team back in contention.
In the individual foil event, Cabantac and Ignacio finally secured the team’s first taste of the podium. Cabantac dominated against Rookie of the Year, Michael Nicanor of UE, to snag the gold, while Ignacio picked up the bronze medal.
It was a team effort in the men’s foil team event, Shaun Yap and rookie Patrick Pecson put in notable performances to help them win their second gold medal of the tournament.
In the semi-final bout against UP, Pecson—the fourth man—fought back from a 24-27 deficit to make a 35-32 turnover. Then, in the gold medal match against UE, Yap—the third man—rallied in 11 points to come back from being down 24-27 to lead 35-31. Bryant capped off the gold medal performance with a score of 45-41.
Bryant who finished tournament MVP said, “everyone expected UE to win gold, so we’re really happy that Ateneo finally won.”
With the team on the brisk of success, they are already looking forward to the next season. “Almost all UAAP veteran players from other schools will be graduating. Next year will be the start of the next generation of UAAP fencers,” said the tournament MVP.
They came close to winning the gold this year, but with only one member graduating, the prospects look bright for next year; Season 74 may just be the year the stand atop the podium.
Lady Fencers: podium finish
Last year, the Lady Fencers finished second to powerhouse UE; this year they fell short of a repeat performance.
“Most people that played were first timers,” said Lady Fencer Captain Sandra Pineda, of the team’s young roster. But the Lady Fencers would not let their youth and relative inexperience get in their way of a podium finish.
Like their male counterparts, they were without a medal after the first two days of competition. On the last day, they banked on veterans Mikki Reyes and Stephanie Payayo, and their strength in the Epeé events to get a third place finish.
Reyes bagged the silver medal in the individual Epeé event, while Payayo got the bronze medal in the same event.
In the epee team event, the ladies in Blue were determined to win for departing veterans Payyao and Reyes, but the UE contingent was simply too strong.
“It was the closest bout against UE,” Pineda said, “[nevertheless] my teammates are still very proud of the outcome.”
Through a solid team, and intense training with the national team three times a week, Pineda notes that next year, the team has a fair shot winning the title next year—“that is, if the team continues to train their hardest,” Pineda said.