THE BLUE and Lady Eagles rack up more medals in day 3 of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 81 Fencing Tournament in the Victoria Sports Tower in Quezon City.

The Men’s Sabre and Epee Teams managed to snag bronze medals while the Women’s Foil Team bagged another gold for the Blue and White.

Without any more poulings, the team events of the fencing tourney kicked off right into the action. Based from the results of the individual events held in the past two days of the tournament, the top three schools who had the most tallied points from both their individual players, automatically earned a spot in the semi-final round of the team events.

All bouts in team events had nine periods of three minutes. Each team will use three primary players and one substitute, with every primary player participating in three periods to face every player of the opposing team once. On every fifth point or the three-minute mark—whichever comes first—the players will switch with one of their teammates for the next period.

Men’s Sabre Team

In the Men’s Sabre Team competition, the fourth ranked Blue Eagles had to face quarterfinals’ rank five University of Santo Tomas (UST) for the final spot in the semi-final round. Rookies Jaime Viceo and Enrico Ungson and hardened veterans Alfonso Agustin and Paolo Villegas led the charge for the Blue and White.

In this event, the University of the East (UE) Red Warriors captured top spot, the De La Salle University (DLSU) Green Archers placed in second, and University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons sat at third. The Blue Eagles had a lot at stake in this quarterfinal match as it determined whether they would be able to bring home another set of medals for the Ateneo.

As the quarterfinal match ensued, the Blue Eagles played from behind for most of the first five periods of the match. However, Agustin and Viceo were able to keep the deficit within single-digits before Villegas helped boost the Blue and White to take the lead at the 29-28 mark.

Since then, the Blue Eagles never looked back. By the sixth period’s end, Ateneo ballooned to a six-point lead, 35-29. The team continued to dominate as they finished the eighth period with a 10-point lead at 40-30. Rookie Viceo denied UST of a comeback as he closed the match at 45-35, securing the Blue Eagles a berth at the semi-final round and a guaranteed medal finish in the event regardless of the outcome in the semi-final round.

In the semis, the gritty Blue Eagles collided with quarterfinals leaders, UE. Ateneo fell behind early and played catch up from the get-go. In the fourth period, Villegas went on a 5-1 run to keep it close with UE, 16-19. However, UE proved too much for the Blue and White as they took a six-point lead early in the sixth period that increased by as much as nine, 26-35, as they headed to the eight period. UE closed the match with a 10-3 run in the last two periods as Ateneo couldn’t find an answer, 29-45.

Despite the loss, the Katipunan-based side’s valiant efforts were rewarded with the bronze along with DLSU. Ateneo Fencing Sabre Coach Edward Daliva shares that notching the bronze is already a big feat for the team and that the players can only get better moving forward as the tournament is the second biggest stage locally—only behind the national level—that gives them better experience and exposure in the sport.

“I’m expecting us to get stronger next year but as of the moment garnering the bronze is already big [for us],” he said. “At the same time, we beat UST who is always a contender.”  

Men’s Epee Team

Seasoned veterans Simon Borja, Jacob Villanueva, Senna Bustamante, and Michael Heraldo donned the Blue and White for the Men’s Epee Team tournament. The Blue Eagles earned a seat in the semis as they ranked third overall after the Individual Epee event.

In the semi-final match against second ranked UE, Ateneo had a strong start led by Men’s Overall Team Captain, Simon Borja, in the first period. However, UE managed to pull away in the following periods as they led 16-11 early in the fourth period.

The Blue Eagles continued to put up a gallant effort as they kept things close with UE as they begun the fifth period at 17-21. By the seventh period, UE’s lead ballooned to 10 points, 20-20. The Blue and White could not respond to UE’s flurry of attacks, however, as they headed to the final period trailing by 15-points, 25-40, en route to the final score of 27-45.

The Blue Eagles’ position in the semis guaranteed them of a podium finish despite the loss to UE as the team garnered the bronze together with UP. Victorino Avelino, the Ateneo Fencing coach for Epee, says that he was surprised by the performance of the team. “I expected that they would be giving UE a harder time,” he admitted.

On a positive note, coach Avelino hopes that all the things that they have learned and experienced in training and the competition can help the players moving forward not just in fencing but also in their future endeavors. “Some of them are in their last playing years,” he said. “I hope that in the future they could use what they have experienced playing the game, not just in fencing, but also in their work and their studies.”

Women’s Foil Team  

In the Women’s Foil Team event, the Ateneo Lady Eagles were automatically given a semi-finals seat due to their total scores in the Individual Foil event. The Blue and White were matched against the UP Lady Maroons with rookie Maxine Esteban alongside veterans Patricia Paulo, Patricia Sarmiento, and Gabby Jimenez leading the charge. Despite a slow start that led to 3-5 deficit, Esteban turned the tables to give the team a 10-6 lead. Injured veteran Paulo also largely contributed as she helped stretch their lead to 13 at 40-27.  

The Lady Eagles continuously stepped on the pedal and never looked back as Esteban finished the match, 45-28, to eliminate the Lady Maroons and help the Lady Eagles advance to the finals.

It was another classic encounter in the finals as the Lady Eagles faced archrival DLSU. Esteban led the team to a score of 5-2, while teammates Sarmiento and Paulo continued the charge. Esteban gave her teammates a cushioned lead at 25-16 but the Lady Archers were slowly but surely mounting their comeback.

Once down 35-27, the fencers from Taft were brought back to life and tied the match at 35-all. All nine periods of the match were exhausted as the Blue and White ran away with the victory as time expired, 39-37, to claim the gold for the Women’s Foil Team event.

Ateneo Fencing Foil Coach Ryan Janeo was extremely happy for capturing another gold and hope that the victory gives them a shot at the overall championship.“We are so happy to get another gold,” he said. “Tomorrow, we’re expecting to snag another medal.”

If UST grabs only one gold medal in the last two competitions and the Blue Eagles secure another medal, Ateneo has a chance to bring home the overall championship after ten years that it has been with UE.

With regard to the stellar performance of the Women’s Foil Team, Coach Janeo was quick to praise her squad. “I’m so, so happy [with the performance of our players], especially our super rookie Maxine Esteban and the solid back-up job by our Epee players Patricia Sarmiento and Gabby Jimenez,” he quips.

The last day of the tournament tourney will kick off at 9:00 AM with the Women’s Team Sabre while the Men’s Team Foil and Women’s Team Epee is set to start at 1:30 PM followed by the Overall Awarding Ceremony later in the afternoon on Sunday, November 25 at the Victoria Sports Tower in Quezon City.