THE ATENEO Blue and Lady Eagles ended Day 2 of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 80 Track and Field tournament with momentum on the upswing on Thursday, February 8, at the Philsports Arena in Pasig.
Blue Eagles
Starting for Ateneo was Julius Yim who competed in the 10,000m event. Yim ranked ninth overall with a time of 37:59.87 minutes, which was close to two minutes slower than his 36:02.85 minute performance last season.
Team Captain Henry Gonzales was joined by rookie Mark Operario in the the Decathlon, a 10-phase event of gruelling physicality. The first deca-event was the 100m dash where Gonzales (11.54s) ranked first and Operario (11.58s) followed him in second.
Gonzales once again dominated in the Decathlon Long Jump where he led with a 6.45m distance with Operario behind in fourth (5.85m). The captain continued to show his athletic prowess in the Decathlon Shot Put with a distance of 10.01m to rank second while the rookie (9.30m) ranked fifth.
In what seemed to be a fit of unrelenting spirit, Gonzales blew past the competition in the last two deca-events: the High Jump (1.76m) and the 400m run (52.88s), where he ranked first. Meanwhile, Operario ranked second in both, amassing a height of 1.74m and a time of 54.16s.
With the first five Decathlon events done for the day, the duo is already ahead in the standings. Gonzales has 3,196 points while Operario has 2,944 points with Far Eastern University’s (FEU) Cecilio Columnas following with 2,936 points. The Decathlon will continue and end on Day 3. As it stands, the Blue Eagles are on track for gold and silver.
Gonzales also competed in the Long Jump, alongside Ateneo rookie Jonathan Talbot. The team captain, who competed in six straight events for the whole day, was still able to rank 12th (5.84m) while Talbot ranked 14th with 4.77m.
In the 200m heats, Blue Eagles Maui Ramos (23.40s), Captain Che Guevarra (23.75s), and Ernest Dylim (24.06s) all failed to qualify for the finals. Ramos ranked 17th, Guevarra ranked 20th, and rookie Dylim followed at 21st overall.
The Blue Tracksters currently have a subtotal of 20 points and are in sixth place behind University of Santo Tomas (UST) with 38 points.
Lady Eagles
The highlight of Day 2 for the Lady Eagles came through track star Kim Zulueta who added another bronze medal to the Ateneo tally in the 200m event.
Zulueta competed, alongside her teammates Nika Crisostomo and Viah Mostoles, in the first of the 200m heats. While the rookie Mostoles (26.26s) was able to finish seventh to qualify for the finals, the veteran Crisostomo ranked 22nd overall, clocking in at 27.73s due to a recent foot injury that drastically weighed her down.
Zulueta, however, finished third overall in the heats with a time of 25.57s. She improved her time in the finals, clocking in at 25.48s to rank third yet again. With the result, the Ateneo ace gives the Lady Eagles another bronze to go with her 100m medal from Day 1. Her time in the final was faster than her Season 79 time of 25.93s.
“I just worked harder this year…I put so much effort and time for this sport and this season,” Zulueta said.
Kim Zulueta (25.48s) ranked 3rd in the 200m final giving Ateneo another bronze: “For the glory of the school, for God and for my family.” pic.twitter.com/bfAeFSyL0F
— Tonichi Regalado (@CHI_TheGUIDON) February 8, 2018
The only women’s event left was the Triple Jump where rookie Kate Gohoc was supposed to compete. However, the officials did not allow her to participate as she did not make the roll call for the said event.
In the standings, Ateneo Women’s Track and Field is currently in fourth place with a total of 46.5 points, trailing behind the University of the Philippines (UP) Lady Maroons (72.5pts).
Day three events
The Blue Eagles will return to compete in the Javelin Throw, the 4x100m relay, the 400m event, the 3000m Steeplechase, and the five remaining Decathlon events, while the Lady Eagles will compete in the 3000m walk, the 4x100m relay, the 400m event, and the Discus Throw. All events will be held on Day 3 of the UAAP Season 80 Track and Field tournament on February 9 at the Philsports Arena in Pasig.
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