THREE DAYS into the conquest for their third consecutive title as kings and queens of the collegiate pool, Ateneo FAST set the bar even higher for themselves in the Season 79 University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Swimming tournament, collecting nineteen medals in six events on Sunday, October 23 at the Rizal Memorial Swimming Complex.
Jessie Lacuna struck gold yet again in the men’s 200m freestyle, clocking in at (1:55.29), just 0.22 seconds ahead of Jethro Chua, who tucked another medal under his belt with the silver finish. Hannah Dato dominated the event on the women’s side, taking the gold at (2:11.36), while rookie Andrea Ngui continued to make waves in her first collegiate appearance, settling for the bronze at (2:13.92). Lacuna, Dato, and Ngui finished with the exact same rankings in the finals of the 50m butterfly, adding two more golds and another bronze to the team’s overall tally.
FAST Ateneo veterans sparked podium finished in the 100m backstroke, with captain Axel Ngui and Getty Reyes winning silver at (1:00.38) and bronze at (1:00.94), respectively. Ariana Herranz finished second in the 100m backstroke in the women’s division, clocking in at (1:08.09).
Aldo Batungbacal kept his winning streak alive placing first in the men’s 400m IM at (4:39.98), while sophomore Eman Dapat followed for the silver at (4:46.99). Hannah Dato hauled in her third gold of the day at the women’s 400m IM finals, recording a (5:13.66) finish ahead of Romina Gavino, who finished at (5:17.85) for third place. The Lady Eagles concluded the day with a second-place finish in the women’s 200m freestyle relay, as Andee Torres, Shayn Ting, Shaye Uy, and Hannah Castaneda teamed up to bag the squad another silver.
The team managed to make history once more by the end of the day, shattering records in two events for a sweeter victory. Juniors Paolo Mutuc, Giancarlo Silva, and Batungbacal topped the rankings in the 100m breaststroke finals, with Silva garnering the bronze at (1:07.34), Mutuc grabbing the silver at (1:06.68), and Batungbacal striking gold to establish a new league record at (1:05.78).
Brandon Sing, Ngui, Mutuc, and Lacuna would then go on to leave their legacy for the season, dominating the men’s 200m freestyle relay by clocking in a new league best of (1:56.23).
However, despite both the Blue and Lady Eagles retaining the number one spot in both divisions, the third day’s events have set up the stage for a heated showdown as the Lady Eagles find their rivals from the University of the Philippines (UP) hot on their heels going into the ultimate finale. While the men stand 427 markers away from any signs of immediate danger, the Lady Eagles are situated at 332, just 10 points ahead of the Lady Maroons, who look to move within striking range of the defending champions as the tournament draws to a close.
The final day of UAAP Swimming tournament will close in on Monday, October 24 at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila.
